Isaac Towers

Dr Isaac Towers is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences at UNSW Canberra. His research spans mathematical ecology, wildfire modeling, nonlinear dynamics, and combustion science, with a focus on developing mathematical models to understand complex natural phenomena.

Dr Towers' research interests primarily focus on:

• Mathematical ecology and population dynamics
• Wildfire spread prediction and fire risk modeling
• Nonlinear dynamics and pattern formation in ecological and physical systems
• Combustion waves in competitive exothermic reactions
• Network-based analysis of microbial communities

His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research that bridges mathematics with environmental science and ecology. Many of his papers focus on developing stochastic models for wildfire spread that incorporate environmental variables like wind patterns and fuel accumulation. Other work applies mathematical modeling to understand plant trait distributions in response to precipitation and other environmental drivers. His earlier work focused more on nonlinear optical phenomena and combustion waves, showing an evolution in research interests toward ecological applications.

Dr Towers has supervised numerous graduate students working on diverse projects including:

• Sahar Masoudian: Stochastic modelling of bushfire spread
• Zakir Hossine: Understanding differential abundance in microbial ecology using community structure
• Luis Mijangos Aruajo: Genetics for Forecasting and Managing Biodiversity
• Rashed Saifuddin: Developing realistic models for stressed ecosystems
• Hamizah Safuan: Mathematical Analysis of Population Growth Subject to Environmental Change (2014 Ria de Groot Prize Winner)

At UNSW Canberra, Dr Towers teaches undergraduate courses in linear algebra and discrete mathematics, including Mathematics 1A, Engineering Mathematics 1A, and Introduction to Discrete Mathematics.