Research

My research spans from probability to optimization, from pure math to astronomy. I am particularly interested in designing optical systems for high-contrast imaging with the hope of using such systems to one day take direct images, and eventually spectra, of Earth-like exoplanets.

Talks

2024

Astronomy... Things Both Near and Far   Summer of a Lifetime Program,   Princeton, August 6

The 2024 Eclipse and Some Astrophotography   Astronomy On Tap,   Trenton Social, Apr. 17

2023

Two Topics: A New Flat Map and Imaging Exoplanets   Industrial and System Eng.,   Rutgers Univ., Oct. 25

Photographing Things Above   Princeton Photography Club,   The Watershed Institute, Sept. 20

The Parametric Self-Dual Simplex Method Revisited   Freund Fest,   MIT, August 19

Public Observing   Peyton Hall,   Princeton, August 16

Astronomy... Things Both Near and Far   Summer of a Lifetime Program,   Princeton, August 15

Astronomy... Things Both Near and Far   Summer of a Lifetime Program,   Princeton, August 10

Astronomy: Things Both Near and Far   Hopewell Elementary School,   February 22

2022

Sizing Up The Universe   Princeton Club of Saint Louis,   November 11

Three Topics: Optimization History, Flat Maps, Complex Roots   Math Dept,   George Mason Univ., October 21

Astronomy... Things Both Near and Far   STEP Program,   Princeton, July 14 and 20

Reconnect 2022 -- Optimization   DIMACS Reconnect,   ETS, June 13

Welcome to the Universe in 3D   Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton,   Zoom, May 10

Sizing Up The Universe   Princeton Club of Rochester NY,   Zoom, Apr 14

Flat Maps via Stress Minimization   INFORMS Philadelphia Chapter,   Zoom, Feb 16

2021

Stability of Ring Systems   PU Rocketry Club,   Zoom, Dec 1

AstroDynamics   Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society,   Zoom, Feb 14

Astrophotographs   AAAP Journal Club Talk,   Zoom, Jan 12

2020

Astrophotographs: Things Both Near and Far   Princeton Class of '77,   Zoom, Nov 1

AstroDynamics   AAAP,   Zoom, May 12

Mercury Transit 2019   AAAP Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Mar 10 (cancelled by corona virus)

2019

The Parametric Self-Dual Simplex Method: A Modern Perspective   INFORMS Student Chapter Lehigh, Nov 5

Sudoku via Optimization   INFORMS Seattle, Oct 21

The Parametric Self-Dual Simplex Method: A Modern Perspective   INFORMS Seattle, Oct 21

Optimization Ideas, Algorithms, Tools, and Examples   Informal Seminar Institute for Advanced Study, Sept 26

Fun with M1 and M13   Coffee Talk Institute for Advanced Study, Sept 11

The Universe and the Night Sky   Princeton Public Library Princeton NJ, Aug 14

Photographing the Night Sky   Princeton Public Library Princeton NJ, July 1

Astrophotographs   Princeton Public Library Princeton NJ, June 24

Sizing Up The Universe: A Freshman Seminar   Princeton Club of Western Washington Seattle WA, June 9

2018

Sparsity Matters   INFORMS Phoenix, Nov 5

Spectroscopy for the Amateur Astrophotographer   AAAP, Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Sep 11

Complex Roots of Random Sums  Optimal Stopping Conference, Rice Univ., June 26

2017

Eclipse of the Century   Montgomery / Rocky Hill Rotary Club, CVCC, Nov 2

Sparsity Matters   Khachiyan Prize Talk, INFORMS Houston, Oct 22

Geometric Visualization of LP Algorithms   INFORMS Houston, Oct 22

Sparsity Matters   Colloquium, IDA-CCR, Sep 20

Direct Imaging Earth-Like Planets in Habitable Zones   Wunch Princeton Univ., Mar 29

Space Mission Concepts to Image Earth-Like Planets   Amateur Astronomers, Inc. Union College, Jan 20

2016

Numerical Optimization Applied to Space-Related Problems   Cornell, Ctr. for Applied Math Ithaca NY, Nov 18

Two New Efficient Algorithms for Compressed Sensing   INFORMS Nashville, Nov 16

Linear, Conic, and Non-Convex Formulations of the High Contrast Imaging Problem   MOPTA, Aug 17

Two New Efficient Algorithms for Compressed Sensing   INFORMS Int'l, Hilton Waikoloa, Hawaii, Jun 12

The Earth Is Not Flat   DIMACS REU, Rutgers Univ, Jun 7

Space Mission Concepts to Image Earth-Like Planets   Drexel Univ, Feb 26

2015

Fast Algorithms for LAD Lasso Problems   INFORMS Philadelphia, Nov 3

Finding Stable Periodic Solutions to the n-Body Problem via Robust Opt.  INFORMS Philadelphia, Nov 2

Sizing Up the Universe   Princeton Alumni Retreat, Mohonk Mountain Lodge, Oct 3

Numerical Optimization Applied to Space-Related Problems  MOPTA, Lehigh Univ., Jul 20

Numerical Optimization Applied to Space-Related Problems  ISMP 2015, Jul 16

Numerical Optimization Applied to Space-Related Problems   Carnegie Mellon Univ., Apr 10

Operations Scheduling for the LSST   LSST Scheduler Workshop, Tucson AZ, Mar 18

Numerical Optimization Applied to Space-Related Problems   AMS Sectional Meeting, Georgetown Univ, Mar 8

2014

Solving the n-Body Problem by Minimizing the Action Functional   MOPTA, Lehigh Univ, Aug 15

L1 Regularization via the Parametric Simplex Method   MOPTA, Lehigh Univ, Aug 13

Sparsification and Parameterization   ONR Grantee's Meeting, MIT, Jun 24

L1 Regularization via the Parametric Simplex Method   SIOPT, San Diego, May 19

Local Warming   WID-DOW, University of Wisconsin-Madison, May 5

From Bandits to Dishonest Statisticians   Shepp-Fest, Columbia University, Apr 25

Imaging The Universe   AAAP, Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Apr 8

New Efficient Algorithms for Compressed Sensing   AMS Sectional Meeting, Univ. of Maryland, Mar 29

Optimization for Compressed Sensing   Ind. and Sys. Eng, University of Florida, Mar 21

New Stable Periodic Solutions to the n-Body Problem   PACM, Princeton University, Feb 17

Space Mission Concepts To Image Earth-Like Planets In Habitable Zones   MEM, Lehigh University, Jan 31

2013

High-Contrast Imaging and the Search for Exo-Earths   Amateur Astronomers, Inc., Union College, Sep 20

Fast Fourier Optimization   MOPTA, Lehigh Univ., Aug 16

High-Contrast Imaging via Pupil Masking   AFTA Coronagraph Workshop, Princeton Univ., July 24

Is Anyone Else Out There?   AAAP 50th Anniversary Panel, Institute for Advanced Study, May 11

Fast-Fourier Optimization   Optimization Days, GERAD, May 8

Fast-Fourier Optimization   Industrial and Systems Engineering, Lehigh Univ., Apr. 3

Fast-Fourier Optimization   Math Dept., Univ. Pennsylvania, Mar. 15

Imaging the Universe   Butler College, Princeton Univ, Feb. 20

2012

Fast Fourier Optimization   INFORMS, Phoenix AZ, Oct. 13

Sizing Up The Universe   S*T*A*R Astronomy Club, Lincroft NJ, Sep. 6

Fast-Fourier Optimization   ISMP 2012, Berlin, Aug. 22

Amateur Astronomy in NJ   Exploring The Night, South Brunswick Library, Aug. 7

High-Contrast Imaging via Fast-Fourier Optimization   SIAM Annual Meeting 2012, Minneapolis, Jul. 9

Interior Point Methods and Nonlinear Optimization   Machine Learning Summer School, La Palma, Apr. 16

Linear Optimization: Duality, Simplex Methods   Machine Learning Summer School, La Palma, Apr. 14

Linear Optimization: Methods and Examples   Machine Learning Summer School, La Palma, Apr. 14

2011

New Pupil Masks for High-Contrast Imaging: Fast-Fourier Optimization   Goddard Space Flight Center, Dec. 14

Local Warming: Climate Change Comes Home   Wharton Statistics Dept., Nov. 2

Sizing Up The Universe   Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Assn., July 6

Sizing Up The Universe   Montclair State College., June 8

Sizing Up The Universe   UACNJ Astronomy Day, Warren County Library, NJ, May 14

Sizing Up The Universe   Yuri's Night, West Windsor NJ, Apr 12

Taming Diffraction to Search for Exoplanets   Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, Apr 7

Local Warming   GERAD, Montreal Canada, Mar 17

Local Warming   INFORMS Computing Society, Monterey CA, Jan 11

2010

Space Mission Concepts to Image Earth-Like Planets in Habitable Zones   American Museum of Natural History, Dec 6

Sizing Up The Universe   Montgomery Rotary Club., Nov 11

Local Warming   INFORMS, Austin TX, Nov 8

Sizing Up The Universe   UACNJ Jenny Jump, Oct 29

The Search for Earth-Like Planets   DIMACS REU Program, Rutgers University, June 22

The Search for Earth-Like Planets   Princeton Club of Vero Beach, Mar 29

The Earth Is Not Flat   Geometry Class at MHS, Mar 22

2009

Non-Redundant Pupil Masking   Princeton TPF Group, Nov 6

The Limits of High-Contrast Imaging in Visible Light   Princeton TPF Group, Oct 31

New Solutions to the n-Body Problem via NLP   INFORMS San Diego, Oct 11

Optimization in Engineering Design   High-Performance Computing Workshop, Lehigh University

Direct Imaging of Extrasolar Planets   StarConn09, Wesleyan University

Linear Stability of Ring Systems   PACM, Fine Hall, Princeton University

Extinguishing Poisson's Spot with Linear Programming  INFORMS Computing Society, Charleston SC

2008

The Search for Earth-like Planets: Yes We Can  Princeton Alumni Association of Canada, Toronto

Making Dark Shadows with Linear Programming  Univ. of Waterloo

Making Dark Shadows with Linear Programming  INFORMS, Washington DC

Optimization in Engineering Design  MAE, Princeton Univ.

Extinguishing Poisson's Spot with Linear Programming  SIAG OPT, Boston

Digitizing the Universe  Lunch 'n Learn

2007

Detecting ExtraSolar Planets: A Survey of Methods and Results  PICASso

Purple America: Using Color to Convey Information  Politics Department, Princeton Univ.

Astrophotography  AstroCon IV

Stability of Ring Systems with Oblate Central Body  AstroCon IV

Detecting ExtraSolar Planets: A Survey of Methods and Results  NJAA

Optimized vs. Hypergaussian Occulters: A Comparative Sensitivity Analysis  NASA Ames

Parametric Linear Programming and Portfolio Optimization   Cowles Foundation, Yale University

High-Contrast Space Occulter   TPF-Lite Meeting, Princeton University

Pupil Mapping (aka PIAA)   TPF-Lite Meeting, Princeton University

Linear Stability of Ring Systems   PACM, Fine Hall, Princeton University

Backyard Astrophotography: A How-To Story   AAAP, Peyton Hall, Princeton University

2006

Using JAVA Applets to Teach Linear Programming   INFORMS, Pittsburgh PA, Nov 7

Extreme Optics and the Search for Earth-Like Planets   ISMP, Rio de Janeiro, August

Diffraction Analysis of Apodized Pupil Mapping Systems   SPIE, Orlando FL

Deep Shadow Occulters   Nowhere, April

2005

JPL/Princeton TPF Review. Pupils: Masking vs. Mapping   JPL Review, Princeton University, Nov 5

Searching for Earth-Like Planets   S*T*A*R Astronomy Club, Middletown NJ, Oct 6

Diffraction Analysis of 2-D Pupil Remapping for High-Contrast Imaging   SPIE, San Diego CA, Aug

Fresnel Analysis of Shaped Pupil Systems for Planet Finding   SPIE, San Diego CA, Aug

Horsing Around on Saturn   New Trends in Astrodynamics II, Princeton NJ

Frontiers of Stochastically Nondominated Portfolios   New Horizons talk at Sac Capital Mgmt

Parametric Linear Programming and Portfolio Optimization   SIAM Stockholm

The Search for Earth-Like Planets   Georgia Tech

Search for Earth-Like Planets: NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder Mission   AAAP, Peyton Hall, Princeton University

On Fair and Balanced Presentations of Election Results   PACM, Fine Hall, Princeton University

2004

Engineering Applications of Nonlinear Optimization   INFORMS Denver

Optimization Problems Arising in Optics and Mechanics   Center for Applied Mathematics, Cornell Univ

Astroimages from New Jersey   UACNJ, Jenny Jump, Sept

CCD Imaging with Small Instruments in Light-Polluted Skies   UACNJ, Jenny Jump, June

Shaped-Pupil Coronagraphs as High-Contrast Imagers for TPF   LSNSDP, University of Waterloo

New Orbits for the Equimass n-Body Problem   LSNSDP, University of Waterloo

Shaped Pupils (and Other Stuff)   JPL Review, Princeton University, Mar 23

2003

On Designing NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder Space Telescope   INFORMS Atlanta, GA, Oct 20

Nonlinear Optimization Arising in Celestial Mechanics   INFORMS Atlanta, GA, Oct 19

New Pupil Masks for High-Contrast Imaging   SPIE San Diego, CA, Aug

The Terrestrial Planet Finder Mission   Starquest'03, Hope NJ Jun

The Terrestrial Planet Finder Mission   New Jersey Astronomy Group, Montclair State University Jun

Engineering Applications of Nonlinear Optimization   Courant Institute, NYU May

On Designing NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder Space Telescope   Lehigh University, PA Apr

New Orbits for the Equimass n-Body Problem   New Trends in Astrodynamics, College Park MD, Jan

2002

Designing a Space Telescope to Image Earth-like Planets   Statistics, Rutgers

Frontiers of Stochastically Nondominated Portfolios   IOE Univ. of Michigan

CCD Astrophotography with a 3.5 inch Questar Stella-Della, Ottsville PA

Terrestrial Planet Finder: Detecting and Characterizing Earth-like Planets Orbiting Nearby Stars UACNJ, Jenny Jump NJ, Sept

Optimal Shaped Pupil Coronagraphs for Extrasolar Planet Finding SPIE, Hawaii

Shape Optimization in Designing the ``Terrestrial Planet Finder'' Telescope SIAM, Toronto

Least Action Principle and the $n$-Body Problem   PACM, Feb

Engineering Applications of Nonlinear Optimization Oberwolfach workshop on Continuous Optimization with Industrial Applications

2001

Tutorial: New Directions in Linear Programming   INFORMS, Miami Beach

On Solving SOCPs with an Interior-Point Method for NLP   INFORMS, Miami Beach

Solving Trajectory Optimization Problems as Large-Scale NLPs   INFORMS, Miami Beach

Interior-Point Methods for Nonlinear Programming   Large-Scale Optimization, Erice Sicily

Nonlinear Optimization: Algorithms and Models   McMaster University

2000

Nonlinear Programming Models: A Survey   NJ INFORMS, Rutgers University

Recent Progress with an Interior-Point Method for Large-Scale Nonlinear Programming   ISMP 2000, Atlanta Georgia

An Interior-Point Algorithm for Nonconvex Nonlinear Programming   Level(3) Communications

Interior-Point Methods for Second-Order-Cone and Semidefinite Programming   25th Lunteren conference on the Mathematics of Operations Research

An Interior-Point Algorithm for Nonconvex Nonlinear Programming   25th Lunteren conference on the Mathematics of Operations Research

Interior-Point Methods for Second-Order-Cone and Semidefinite Programming   Oberwolfach workshop on Continuous Optimization with Industrial Applications

1999

Using LOQO to Solve Second-Order Cone Programming Problems.   SIAM Conf. on Optimization, Atlanta GA

Convex Optimization: Interior-Point Methods and Applications.   Math Dept., Princeton University

A Martingale System Theorem for Stock Investments   DIMACS workshop on New Market Models in Finance, Rutgers Univ.

1998

An Interior-Point Algorithm for Nonconvex Nonlinear Programming.   Montreal INFORMS, Spring

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