Donald Schwendeman

Donald Schwendeman is a Professor and Director of the Center for Modeling, Optimization, and Computational Analysis (MOCA) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He holds a B.S.E. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), advised by G.B. Whitham. After a postdoc at Caltech with H.B. Keller, he joined RPI in 1987, advancing to full Professor and serving as Department Head of Mathematical Sciences from 2012–2024.

• Education:
• B.S.E., Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
• Ph.D., Applied Mathematics, California Institute of Technology

His research focuses on numerical methods for partial differential equations (PDEs) in engineering and science, including wave phenomena, fluid-structure interaction, and high-speed reactive flows. Collaborations include national labs (Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore) and RPI researchers. Key areas include shock dynamics, aerodynamics, and computational physics.

Dr. Schwendeman leads educational initiatives like the Mathematical Problems in Industry Workshop (since 1993) and RPI’s Graduate Student Mathematical Modeling Camp (2004–2018). He contributes to the NSF-funded Research Training Grant (RTG) program, supporting graduate students and postdocs.

No scientific awards are explicitly listed in the provided text. His work is tied to the MOCA Center, emphasizing interdisciplinary computational research.