From WPI Interim Dean of Arts & Sciences Craig Wills:
It’s my pleasure to announce that the new interim head of WPI’s Department of Mathematical Sciences (MA) is Burt Tilley, an accomplished scholar and teacher in the mathematical modeling of problems in scientific and engineering applications. Burt’s term as department head, which begins July 1, 2026, follows that of Sarah Olson, who has led MA since 2021.
Burt earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and modern languages from the University of Lowell in 1988 and a PhD in applied mathematics from Northwestern University in 1994. He joined WPI in 2009 as an associate professor after serving on the faculty at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. He was promoted to full professor at WPI in 2021. His research involves the mathematical modeling of problems in scientific and engineering applications. Recent examples include electromagnetic radiation mitigation, beamed energy harnessing, geothermal energy harnessing, and interfacial pattern formation on thin liquid films and sheets. The mathematical content of these problems focuses on, but is not limited to, continuum mechanics, free-boundary problems, nonlinear partial differential equations, and nonlinear differential equations. The common theme in these problems involves behavior of different physical systems that are driven by several effects simultaneously. For example, in the interfacial fluid flows, there are the effects of inertia, surface tension, heat and mass transfer, thermocapillarity, and differences in material properties (if more than one material is involved). The solution of the free surface position depends on the solution to the fluid flow equations in its domain, whose solution depends on the free surface position.
Burt has taught numerous mathematics courses at WPI and advised 15 Major Qualifying Projects, and he has supervised many master's and PhD students. His research at WPI has been awarded over $3 million in external funding and numerous patents and has led to over 60 peer-reviewed journal publications. In addition to serving on many departmental committees, Burt served many years as the Director of the Center for Industrial Mathematics and Statistics.
Please join me in welcoming Burt to this new role and thanking Sarah for her many years of service.
Craig Wills
Interim Dean of Arts & Sciences
