Tiffany Nicole Kolba
Mathematics Department tkolba@math.duke.edu
Duke University, Box 90320 www.math.duke.edu/~tkolba
Durham, NC 27708 240-472-1146 (mobile)
Education
- Ph.D. Duke University, Mathematics, Expected May 2012
with Certificate in College Teaching
- M.A. Duke University, Mathematics, December 2007
- M.A. Johns Hopkins University, Mathematics, May 2006
- B.A. Johns Hopkins University, Mathematics, May 2006
with second major in Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Teaching Experience
Duke University
- Instructor and Designer for Mathematics in Genetics and Genomics, Spring 2012
- Instructor and Laboratory Instructor for Calculus I, Fall 2010
- Grader for Stochastic Calculus, Spring 2010
- Instructor and Laboratory Instructor for Calculus I, Fall 2008
- Instructor for Probability, Summer 2008
- Instructor for Calculus I, Fall 2007
- Teaching Assistant for Calculus II, Summer 2007
- Laboratory Instructor for Calculus I, Fall 2006
Johns Hopkins University
- Teaching Assistant for Calculus II, Spring 2006
- Teaching Assistant for Statistical Analysis II, Spring 2006
- Teaching Assistant for Calculus II, Fall 2005
- Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Probability, Fall 2005
- Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Statistics, Spring 2005
- Tutor for Office of Academic Advising, Spring 2004-Spring 2005
Research Experience
- Duke University, Department of Mathematics, January 2008-present
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Advisor: Jonathan C. Mattingly
- Dissertation: A Generalized Lyapunov Construction for Proving Stabilization by Noise
- Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute, August 2009-May 2010
- Graduate Student Fellow
- Participant in the Stochastic Dynamics program and member of the Qualitative Behavior of Stochastic Dynamical Systems working group
- Johns Hopkins University, Center for Imaging Science, May 2005-August 2006
- Undergraduate Research Assistant
- Advisor: J. Tilak Ratnanather
- Initially as part of a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) during Summer 2005, performed shape analysis on neurons to characterize abnormalities caused by Fragile X syndrome and Parkinson's disease
Publications
- A. Athreya, T.N. Kolba, and J.C. Mattingly. Propagating Lyapunov Functions to Prove Noise-Induced Stabilization. ArXiv e-prints, November 2011.
- E. Ceyhan, L. Fong, T.N. Tasky, M.K. Hurdal, M.F. Beg, M.E. Martone, and J.T. Ratnanather. Type-Specific Analysis of Morphometry of Dendrite Spines of Mice. Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Image and Signal Processing and Analysis, Istanbul, Turkey, September 27-29, 2007.
Talks and Posters Presented
- “Noise-Stabilized Stochastic Differential Equations,” talk presented at the 5th Annual Graduate Student Probability Conference, April 29-May 1, 2011
- “A Surprising Phenomenon in Probability Theory: Stability Induced by Randomness,” talk presented at the Duke Mathematics Department Graduate Student Recruitment on March 26, 2011
- “Stochastic Differential Equations with Stability Induced by Noise,” poster presented at the SAMSI Graduate Fellow Poster Reception on April 13, 2010
- “Stability Induced by Noise," talk presented to the Society of Duke Fellows on October 30, 2009
- “Stochastic Differential Equations with Periodicity Induced by Noise," talk presented at the Duke Mathematics Department Graduate/Faculty Seminar on April 3, 2009
- “Semi-Automated Shape Analysis of Dendrite Spines from Animal Models of Fragile X and Parkinson's Disease using Large Deformation Diffeomorphic Metric Mapping," poster presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, November 12-16, 2005
Awards and Honors
Duke University
- L.P. Smith Award for Teaching Excellence in Mathematics, August 2009
- James B. Duke Fellowship, August 2006-May 2010
Johns Hopkins University
- University Honors, Department Honors, and Phi Beta Kappa, May 2006
- Applied Math and Statistics Award for Excellence in Teaching, May 2006
- Applied Math and Statistics Achievement Award, May 2006
- J.J. Sylvester Award for Excellence in Mathematics, May 2006
- Honorable Mention in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling, March 2006
- Applied Math and Statistics Naddor Prize for non-senior majors, May 2005
Professional Service and Activities
Duke University
- Organizer for Undergraduate Mathematical Biology Workshop, March 2011-May 2011
- Selection Committee for Director of Counseling Center, January 2011-March 2011
- Math Dept. Liaison to the Office of Graduate Student Affairs, August 2010-July 2011
- Co-Organizer of the Math Dept. Pre-Qualifying Program, August 2009-May 2011
- Math Rep. on the Graduate and Professional Student Council, August 2009-July 2011
- GPSC Rep. on the Executive Committee of Graduate Faculty, August 2009-May 2010
- Organizer for SAMSI’s Education and Outreach Workshops, August 2009-May 2010
- Organizer for Annual Graduate Student Probability Conferences, May 2008-May 2010
- Department of Mathematics Calculus Committee, May 2007-present
Johns Hopkins University
- Resident Advisor, August 2005-May 2006
- Pre-College Resident Advisor, June 2005-August 2005
- Mentoring for middle school students, August 2003-May 2004
Professional Societies
- American Mathematical Society
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
