Laura Kurtz
Department of Mathematics, Louisiana State University
Email: lkurtz2@lsu.edu
Office: 377 Lockett Hall
About
I am a third-year Ph.D. student in mathematics at Louisiana State University. My research interests lie broadly in statistical learning, interacting particle systems, and partial differential equations. I am jointly supervised by Prof. A. Ganguly and Prof. B. Fehrman. I received a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Alabama in May 2024.
Education
- In Progress Ph.D. in Mathematics, Louisiana State University, 2024–present
- B.S. in Mathematics, University of Alabama, 2024
- B.M. in Music, University of Alabama, 2024
Research in Progress
Technical Reports
Recurrence vs. Transience in Z2 and Higher Dimensions: A Walk Through Probability. [PDF]
Numerical Solutions to Nonlinear PDEs on a Disk.
Teaching
Louisiana State University — Instructor of Record
- Math 1520 (Probability and Statistics for Data and Life Sciences), Fall 2026
- Math 1540 (Integral Calculus), Spring 2026
- Math 1022 (Plane Trigonometry), Fall 2025
- Math 1100 (Nature of Mathematics), Summer 2025, Summer 2026
- Math 1431 (Calculus for Business and Economic Applications), Fall 2024, Spring 2025
Curriculum Development
- Math 1520 (Probability and Statistics for Data and Life Sciences), 2026–2027
Service and Leadership
Louisiana State University
- Director, Directed Reading Program, Fall 2026–present
- President, LSU Chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics, May 2026–May 2027
- Vice President, LSU Student Chapter of SIAM, Jan. 2026–present
- Fellow, Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School Future Scholars Program, Fall 2025–present
- Vice President, LSU Chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics, Sept. 2025–May 2026
- Organizer, Informal Analysis Seminar, 2025–present [info]
- Volunteer, Math Circle Junior (ages 7–10), 2025–present
- Secretary, LSU Student Chapter of SIAM, Jan. 2025–Dec. 2025
Professional Memberships
- Association for Women in Mathematics, 2022–present
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Awards and Honors
- David Oxley Graduate Student Teaching Award, Louisiana State University, Spring 2026
- Research support, NSF RTG grant, Louisiana State University, Summer 2026
- Certificate of Teaching Excellence, Louisiana State University, Fall 2025
Conferences and Workshops Attended
Stochastic Dynamics in Biology Summer School
Scientific Computing Around Louisiana (SCALA)
Summer School in Elliptic PDEs
Expanding Pathways in Harmonic Analysis
Skills
- Computing: Python, MATLAB, Excel, HTML
- Languages: Spanish (intermediate)
- Fun Fact: I received a Bachelor's degree in Music from the University of Alabama in May 2024. My primary instrument was the French horn, with a theory concentration in Baroque counterpoint.