Thomas Yizhao and Chang Hou
Thomas Yizhao Hou is the Charles Lee Powell professor of applied and
computational mathematics at Caltech. He is one of the leading experts
in vortex dynamics and multiscale problems. His research interests are
centered around developing analytical tools and effective numerical
methods for vortex dynamics, interfacial flows, and multiscale problems.
He got his BA degree from South China University of Technology in 1982,
received his Ph.D. from UCLA in 1987, and joined the Courant Institute
as a faculty member in 1989. He moved to Caltech in 1993 and was named
the Charles Lee Powell Professor in 2004. Dr. Hou has received a number
of honors and awards, including Member of American Academy of Arts and
Sciences in 2011, an inaugural Fellow of Society of Industrial and
Applied Mathematics (2009) and Americal Mathematical Society (2012), the
Computational and Applied Sciences Award from US Association of
Computational Mechanics in 2005, the Morningside Gold Medal in Applied
Mathematics in 2004, the SIAM Wilkinson Prize in Numerical Analysis and
Scientific Computing in 2001, the Frenkiel Award from the Division of
Fluid Mechanics of American Physical Society in 1998, the Feng Kang
Prize in Scientific Computing in 1997, a Sloan fellow from 1990 to 1992.
He was also the founding Editor-in-Chief of the SIAM Journal on
Multiscale Modeling and Simulation from 2002 to 2007.
Yu-Chung Chang (Ph D, Mathematics) is currently an assistant professor in the Mathematics Division at Pasadena City College. Some of Dr. Chang’s professional interests are the theory and practice of Mathematics Problem Solving, and basic skill issues and strategies. One of her main efforts has been to use reading and writing to help students to understand Math problem solving and motivate their interests in studying Mathematics. She has participated in Service Learning, Writing Across Curriculum, and Reading Apprenticeship Group, led the FIG 3 (Faculty Inquiry Group for Intermediate Algebra), given Student Learning Outcomes Workshops on her case study WRAMPS (Writing and Reading Activities for Math Problem Solving), initiated Common Final Exams for Developmental Math, and organized an Algebra Learning Outcomes Workshop on faculty development for student success. The courses she has taught include Prealgebra, Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus, Differential Equations and Linear Algebra.
Dr. Chang initiated Common Final Exam for Intermediate Algebra to help students achieving minimum standards before continuing transferable courses in 2007. She also started Pi Day Student Conference to encourage student ownership of Math learning in 2012.
Dr. Chang’s publications include “Eulerian Capturing Methods Based on a Level Set Formulation for Incompressible Fluid Interfaces” in Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 124, pp. 449-464, (co-authored with T. Y. Hou, B. Merriman, and S. Osher, 1996), “How Writing and Reading Have Helped my Students to Achieve Critical Thinking SLOs in Mathematics” in SLO Newsletter, Pasadena City College, May 2006, and “No Longer Lost in Translation: How Yu-Chung Helps Her Students Understand (and Love) Word Problems” for the Advancement of Teaching website Windows on Learning of Carnegie Foundation.