Rate My Professor Lisa Davis

Professor Lisa Davis is a Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Montana State University, where she joined the faculty in 1999 as an Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2005, and to full Professor in 2015. She earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Virginia Tech in 1999, M.S. in Mathematics from Virginia Tech in 1995, and B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in 1993. Her research lies in applied and computational mathematics, focusing on numerical methods for solving partial differential equations, sensitivity analysis, and mathematical modeling of biological and ecological processes. Key areas include efficient and robust computational algorithms using finite element and finite volume methods, differential operator theory applied to sensitivity analysis, and models for DNA transcription incorporating transcriptional pausing, bio-polymerization as traffic flow problems, and uncertainty quantification in simulations.

Davis co-authored the book Design Sensitivity Analysis: Computational Issues of Sensitivity Equation Methods (SIAM, Frontiers in Applied Mathematics, 2002) and has numerous refereed publications, such as “A Mechanistic Model for Cooperative Behavior of Co-transcribing RNA Polymerases” (PLoS Computational Biology, 2016), “A Traffic Flow Model for Biopolymerization Processes” (Journal of Mathematical Biology, 2014), “Discontinuous Galerkin Calculations for a Nonlinear PDE Model of DNA Transcription with Short, Transient and Frequent Pausing” (Journal of Computational Mathematics, 2014), and “Parameter Sensitivity of Eddy Viscosity Models for Navier-Stokes Equations: A Fully-Discrete Analysis and Computations” (International Journal for Uncertainty Quantification, 2013). Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation (e.g., DMS-1226213, 2012–2015), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (e.g., FA9550-07-1-0405, 2007; F49620-03-1-0326, 2003–2006), and Montana State University. Awards include the College of Letters & Science Outstanding Teaching Award (2014), Bill Stannard Award for Excellence in Upper Division Mathematical Sciences Instruction (2013), and Montana State University Research Enhancement Award (2012). She teaches courses from first-year calculus to graduate numerical analysis and linear algebra, directs Ph.D. students, mentors undergraduates in programs like the Undergraduate Scholars Program and Montana INBRE, organizes conferences such as Computation, Control & Biological Systems VIII (2003), and serves as a referee for journals including IEEE Transactions and SIAM Journal on Control.