Hemanshu Kaul: Mentorship and Advising

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Mentorship

  • Mathematics Advisor, and Co-Director for the M.Sc. program in Computational Decision Science and Operations Research (CDSOR) since its establishment in 2015.

  • Co-Advisor of the IIT chapter of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) since 2012. SIAM chapter at IIT is active in organizing activities, including talks, panel discussions on career advice, an annual student conference with participants from all over the midwest, and social events, including a series of talks introducing all the mathematics research groups at IIT, and a new series of talks on `my favorite theorem' to popularize mathematics, with funding from SIAM and the student government.

  • IIT Team advisor for Mathematical Contest in Modeling annually since 2014 when I advised the first team from IIT to participate in this prestigious international mathematical modeling contest. My teams were awarded as Meritorious Winners (99.5 percentile) in MCM 2016 and MCM 2019, with Honorable Mention (90 percentile) in MCM 2015. More than 10000 teams from universities around the world participate in this highly competitive annual contest in which each team of three undergraduate students solves an open-ended real-life problem from scratch in four days.
    See some news items related to my MCM teams:
    I have also advised undergraduate teams in other international competitions such as Kryptos Cryptanalysis Competition (2014-2016).

  • Create and share mathematical poetry, puzzles, and games for students and faculty to engage with during the weekly department tea, or through email, and reminders about cultural events beyond academia. See also my short expository writing under Miscellany above.

  • Co-organized live virtual commencement for Applied Math B.S., M.S. and PhD. graduates in May 2020 and May 2021 with Despina Stasi. Read more about it in the department newsletter article: Commencement Innovations.

  • Co-organized Undergraduate Math Competition at IIT open to all students from 2008 to 2013, annually, and in 2017.



PhD Students

  • new! Bahareh Kudarzi, Ph.D. in Applied Math, current.


  • Daniel Dominik, Ph.D. in Applied Math, current.
    Probabilistic problems on DP-coloring of graphs.

  • Gunjan Sharma, Ph.D. in Applied Math, current.
    Extremal and Enumerative problems on DP-coloring of graphs.

  • William Schwartz, Ph.D. in Applied Math, December 2021 (jointly advised with Sonja Petrovic).
    Optimization and Statistics on Temporal Network Models: including work on Permutation-uniform Markov chains of networks, temporal stochastic block models, Dynamic algorithms for the lexicographic Winner Determination Problem.
    Honorable mention, NSF Graduate Fellowship, 2016.
    Associate Director, Secretariat Economists. Co-founder, Ingraham and Schwartz Auction Advisers.

  • Adam Rumpf, Ph.D. in Applied Math, May 2020.
    Mathematics of Civil Infrastructure Network Optimization: including work on Network simplex algorithm for interdependent network flows, Network design of public transit with social access objectives, and Trilevel network interdiction game for interdependent networks.
    Assistant Professor of Teaching in Applied Math, Florida Polytechnic University, Lakeland, FL, USA.

  • Jeffrey Mudrock, Ph.D. in Applied Math, May 2018.
    The List Coloring problem and its Equitable Variants: including work on Alon-Tarsi number and Chromatic-Choosability of graphs, Criticality and list-color function for graph choosability, Equitable list coloring and proportional choosability.
    Won the Menger Student Award, IIT, 2018
    Professor of Mathematics at the College of Lake County, Illinois, USA.

  • Christodoulos Mitillos, Ph.D. in Applied Math, July 2016.
    The Fall-Coloring of Graphs: including work on existence conditions for and construction of graphs with arbitrary Fall colorings, Fall coloring with regard to unary and binary graph operators.
    Lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Cyprus, Cyprus.

  • Jinyu Huang, Ph.D. in Applied Math, July 2015.
    Approximation Algorithms for Matroid Optimization: including work on Online algorithms for matroid secretary problem, results towards Matroid Expansion Conjecture, complexity of linear matroid intersection and linear matroid parity problems.
    Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, China.



MS Students

  • new! Jason Cho, M.Sc. in Applied Math, current.
    Research on a graphical model in algebraic statistics.

  • updated! Christian Tomlins, M.Sc. in Applied Math, May 2022, (jointly advised with Rob Ellis).
    Research on Distinguishing List Colorings of Graphs.
    Analyst, Dept. of Defense.

  • Quinn Stratton, M.Sc. in Applied Math, May 2020.
    Research on DP-Coloring of Cartesian Products of Graphs
    Lecturer of Mathematics at Lewis University.

  • Hongwei Jin, M.Sc. in Applied Math, May 2015.
    M.Sc. Thesis with new stochastic optimization models and algorithms for ``Microgrid with Renewable Energy''.
    PhD Candidate in Computer Science at UIC

  • Mary Fidler, M.Sc. in Applied Math, July 2011.
    M.Sc. Thesis with new algorithms for "The Simple Equal Flow Problem On Generalized Networks".
    Researcher in New Mexico Consortium for applications of discrete optimization.

  • Joseph Srigiri, M.Sc. in Applied Math, May 2009.
    M.Sc. Thesis with original research in Computational Discrete Geometry and Optimization on ``Stochastic Models for the Art Gallery Problem: A Computational Study''
    Commodities trader in Finance industry



Graduate Thesis Committees

  • updated! Ph.D. Thesis Committee member, External: Rebecca Robinson (Mathematics, University of Colorado Denver, 2021+), Lujia Wang (Mathematics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2018), Justin Hilyard (Mathematics, University of Notre Dame, 2014), Rajmonda Caceres (Mathematics and CS, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2012), Bikash Bhattacharjya (Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, 2009).

  • updated! Ph.D. Thesis Committee member, IIT: Miles Bakenhus (Math, 2022+); Mohit Hota (CS, 2020+); Xiaolang Wang (CS, 2022); Jin Zhang (Chemical Engg., 2019), Praneeth Tota (CS, 2019), Dane Wilburne (Math, 2018), Razane Tajjedine (ECE, 2018), Gergely Balint (Math, 2014), Junghwan Shin (CS 2013), Syed Q. Ahmad (ECE 2013), Brindha Hariharane (CS 2012), Oscar Ortega (Math 2008).

  • M.Sc. Thesis Committee member, IIT: James Panek (Math 2017), Ben Grimmer (CS 2016), Melinda Bulin (Math 2015), Yunjiao Liu (Math 2014), Lujia Wang (Math 2013), James Williamson (Math 2011), Daniel Tietzer (Math 2011), Hong Liu (Math 2010).



Undergraduate Student Research

  • updated! Undergraduate students co-advised with J. Mudrock at College of Lake County (CLC) from 2019 to present (see papers for those co-authored with these students) :

    • Jack Becker, CLC (undergrad), DePaul U. (MS). Summer 2020 and Spring 2021. Original research on DP-color function of graph gluings.

    • Manh Vu Bui, CLC (undergrad). Spring 2021. Original research on DP-color function of graph gluings.

    • Charlie Halberg, CLC & Utah (undergrad). Summer 2020. Original research on DP-color function of theta graphs.

    • Jade Hewitt, CLC & IIT (undergrad). Summer 2020. Original research on DP-color function of joins of graphs.

    • Akash Kumar, CLC (undergrad). Fall 2021. Original research on list color function of graphs.

    • Andrew Liu, Stevenson High School, CLC & MIT (undergrad). Summer 2020, and Spring 2022. Original research on DP-color function of theta graphs, and list color function, list threshold function of graphs.

    • Michael Maxfield, CLC & U. Wisconsin at Madison (undergrad). Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021. Original research on DP-color function of graph gluings.

    • Patrick Rewers, CLC & Purdue (undergrad). Summer 2021. Original research on list color function of graphs.

    • Paul Shin, Stevenson High School, CLC & Dartmouth (undergrad). Summer 2020 and Summer 2021. Original research on: DP-color function of graph gluings, and of theta graphs; and on list color function of graphs.

    • David Spivey , CLC (undergrad). Summer 2020. Original research on DP-color function of joins of graphs.

    • Seth Thomason, CLC & Southern Illinois U. (undergrad). Summer 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021. Original Research on DP-color function of graph gluings, joins of graphs, and theta graphs; and on asymptotics of DP-color function.

    • Khue To, CLC (undergrad). Fall 2021. Original research on list color function of graphs.

    • Tim Wagstrom, CLC & U. of Illinois at Chicago (undergrad), U. Rhode Island (PhD). Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020. Original research on: equitable choosability of graphs, and on DP-color function of graph gluings.


  • updated! Undergraduate students advised at Illinois Tech (IIT) from 2008 to present (see papers for those co-authored with these students):

    • As described above, IIT Team advisor for Mathematical Contest in Modeling and other such competitions, from 2014 onwards annually.

    • Research advisor for 7-9 different projects (under Math 380), each Spring semester 2014 to present (excl. 2020). Each of these semesters I directed 7 to 9 different projects with teams of two students each over a 10 week long period. These projects, based on international MCM/ICM modeling contests, are an integral part of education of Applied Math majors at IIT as they force students to think holistically about sparsely described, open-ended real-world problems and then utilize their comprehensive mathematical knowledge to formulate, modify, justify, and computationally analyze models (including the needed data) for the study of their problem from scratch.

    • Applied Math Freshmen, Fall 2006 - Fall 2015, Fall 2020.
      8-10 week long Projects (expository report including self-discovered proofs and software development) on topics like `Theory and Algorithms for Stable Matchings' with groups of 2-3 students.

    • Unsuk Heo, Undergrad in ECE, Fall 2011.
      Readings and original research in optimization of assignment problems with ordinal preferences.

    • Cheng Chang, Undergrad in Applied Math, Summer 2011-Fall 2011.
      Readings and original research in coloring graph tensor products.

    • Cory Knapp, Undergrad in Applied Math, Spring 2010 - Summer 2010.
      Original research in Graph Theory on ``Fall-coloring''; Supported by a Federal Work Study grant.

    • Christodoulos Mitillos, Undergrad in Applied Math and CS, Summer 2008 - Summer 2009.
      Original research in Graph Theory on ``On Fall-coloring of Graphs''
      Awarded Second prize for `Outstanding Undergraduate Research in Mathematics' by the Illinois Section of Mathematics Association of America, April 2009; Awarded the IIT College of Science and Letters' Summer Scholarship 2008. Presentations at 4 different conferences and seminars in Spring 2009.

    • YoungJu Jo, Undergrad in Applied Math and ECE, Summer 2008 - Summer 2009.
      Original research in Discrete Geometry that improves previous known bounds on a long-standing conjecture on ``Guarding Orthogonal Art Galleries with Holes''
      Awarded First prize for `Outstanding Undergraduate Research in Mathematics' by the Illinois Section of Mathematical Association of America, April 2009. Presentations at 5 different conferences and seminars in Spring 2009.


  • Undergraduate students from Brazil sponsored by IIE under the BSMP program, Summer 2015 and Summer 2016. :

    • Victor Villas Boas Chaves, Davi Grimaldi Muniz Da Rocha, Tassia Sabrina De Sousa, Vinicius Vieira Albano, Raphael Augusto Proenca Rosa Saavedra, 5 CS and Engg students in Summer 2016.
      2 original research projects using data from the City of Chicago to analyze real-world optimization and modeling problems related to transportation projects.

    • Pedro Henrique Alves Melo, Ulisses Americo Carvalho Oliveira, Vinicius Custodio, Claudio Vitor Maquine Salvador, Gustavo Molino, Romario Rocha Rogerio, Simone Tanimaru, 7 Math, CS, and Engg students in Summer 2015.
      3 original research projects on real-world optimization and modeling problems related to transportation projects.



High School Student Research

  • updated! Andrew Liu, Stevenson High School, CLC & MIT (undergrad), co-advised with J. Mudrock at College of Lake County (CLC). Summer 2020, and Spring 2022.
    Original research on DP-color function of theta graphs, and list color function, list threshold function of graphs.

  • updated! Paul Shin, Stevenson High School, CLC & Dartmouth (undergrad), co-advised with J. Mudrock at College of Lake County (CLC). Summer 2020 and Summer 2021.
    Original research on: DP-color function of graph gluings, and of theta graphs; and on list color function of graphs.

  • Derek Hardin, IMSA (Illinois Math and Science Academy), Fall 2010 - Spring 2011.
    Original research on the long-standing Hedetniemi-Lovasz Conjecture on coloring tensor product of graphs; Poster and presentation at IMSA Colloquium.