Michael Novack

Michael Novack is an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University. His research focuses on calculus of variations, geometric measure theory, and partial differential equations. He previously held postdoctoral positions at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Connecticut. He earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University.

His work addresses problems in geometric analysis, including free boundary regularity, isoperimetric inequalities, and liquid crystal models. Key topics include phase transitions in nematics, smectic liquid crystal configurations, and capillarity theory. Recent contributions involve rigorous analysis of Plateau’s laws via Allen-Cahn equations and infinite double bubble theorems.

Notable publications explore energy minimization in liquid crystals, regularity criteria for hypersurfaces, and Wasserstein distance optimizations. His research bridges pure and applied mathematics, with applications in materials science and geometric modeling. He has delivered specialized lectures on Γ-convergence and contributed to workshops at Oberwolfach.