Thomas P. Witelski

Thomas P. Witelski is a Professor at Duke University with joint appointments in the Department of Mathematics (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, since 2011) and Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (Pratt School of Engineering, since 2016). His work focuses on applied mathematics and industrial fluid dynamics.

• Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics (Caltech, 1995)
• B.S.E. in Engineering (Cooper Union, 1991)

Research Focus

Specializing in nonlinear differential equations, Witelski develops mathematical models for viscous fluid flow, dewetting thin films, and dynamical systems. His research extends to industrial applications like spin coating and biomedical contexts such as tear film dynamics in dry-eye syndrome.

Publication Trends

Recent work (2024-2025) addresses IMEX numerical methods for thin films, coarsening dynamics, and tumor growth instabilities. Earlier studies (2018-2020) explore self-similar solutions, Marangoni effects, and heterogeneous substrate interactions.

Awards & Service

Awarded the NSF CAREER Award (2003), Witelski organizes conferences like the TriCAMS Symposium (2023) and Mathematical Problems in Industry Workshop (2016). He mentors graduate and undergraduate students in mathematical modeling camps and serves on editorial boards for dynamical systems journals.