Curriculum Vitae for Tobin A. Driscoll

Professional experience

University of Delaware

• Unidel Chaired Professor of Mathematical Sciences 2023–present
• Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences 2010–present
• Affiliated Faculty, Department of Biomedical Engineering 2010–present
• Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences 2004–2010
• Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences 2000–2004

University of Colorado at Boulder

• Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Applied Mathematics 1996–1999

Education

• Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Cornell University (supervisor: Lloyd N. Trefethen) 1991–1996
• B.S. in Mathematics with honors, B.S. in Physics, Pennsylvania State University 1987–1991

Honors and awards

• Unidel Chaired Professorship, University of Delaware 2023
• Outstanding Scholar Award, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Delaware 2014
• Winner, 100 Digit Challenge (SIAM) 2002
• NSF VIGRE Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Colorado 1999–2000
• NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow 1996–1999
• SIAM Outstanding Paper Prize 1999
• Runner-up, Richard C. DiPrima Dissertation Prize 1998
• Second Prize, Leslie Fox Competition 1997
• NSF Graduate Research Fellow 1991–1994

Recent grants

• R. J. Braun (PI), T. A. Driscoll (co-PI). Models for Tear Film Structure, Dynamics and Parameter Identification. NSF DMS-1909846, $375,000. 2019–2022
• R. J. Braun (PI), T. A. Driscoll, and K. L. Maki (co-PIs). Collaborative Research: Tear Film Dynamics: Modeling, Blinking, and Computation. NSF DMS-1412085, $375,003. 2014–2017
• M. McCulloch (PI), T. A. Driscoll, and G. Schleiniger (co-PIs). Data driven mathematical modeling of the hypoplastic left heart syndrome circulation. NIH Delaware INBRE III, $60,724. 2014–2016
• T. A. Driscoll. Special support from The MathWorks, Inc. 2013–2015

Books

• T. A. Driscoll and R. J. Braun. Fundamentals of Numerical Computation, online edition in Julia, MATLAB, and Python 2025
• T. A. Driscoll and R. J. Braun. Fundamentals of Numerical Computation: Julia Edition, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2022
• L. N. Trefethen, A. Birkisson, and T. A. Driscoll. Exploring ODEs, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2018
• T. A. Driscoll and R. J. Braun. Fundamentals of Numerical Computation, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2017
• T. A. Driscoll, N. Hale, and L. N. Trefethen, eds. Chebfun Guide, 1st edition. Oxford, UK 2014
• T. A. Driscoll, Learning MATLAB, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2009
• T. A. Driscoll and L. N. Trefethen. Schwarz–Christoffel Mapping, Cambridge University Press 2002

Book chapters

• R. J. Braun, T. A. Driscoll, and C. G. Begley, “Mathematical Models of the Tear Film,” in Ocular Fluid Dynamics: Anatomy, Physiology, Imaging Techniques, and Mathematical Modeling, Springer-Birkhäuser, 2019.
• T. A. Driscoll and B. Fornberg. Padé-based interpretation and correction of the Gibbs phenomenon. In Advances in the Gibbs Phenomenon, ed. by A. Jerri, Sigma Sampling Publishing, Potsdam, NY, 2007.
• T. A. Driscoll and L. N. Trefethen. Numerical construction of conformal maps. Appendix to Fundamentals of Complex Analysis with Applications to Engineering, Science, and Mathematics, 3rd edition, by E. D. Saff and A. D. Snider, Prentice Hall, 2002.

Refereed articles with over 100 citations (according to Google Scholar as of June 2026)

• Trefethen, L. N., Trefethen, A. E., Reddy, S. C., and Driscoll, T. A. (1993). Hydrodynamic stability without eigenvalues. Science, 261(5121), 578–584. 10.1126/science.261.5121.578
• Driscoll, T. A., and Fornberg, B. (2002). Interpolation in the limit of increasingly flat radial basis functions. Computers and Mathematics with Applications, 43(3–5), 413–422. 10.1016/s0898-1221(01)00295-4
• Driscoll, T. A. (1996). Algorithm 756: A MATLAB toolbox for Schwarz-Christoffel mapping. ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software (TOMS), 22(2), 168–186. 10.1145/229473.229475
• Fornberg, B., Driscoll, T. A., Wright, G., and Charles, R. (2002). Observations on the behavior of radial basis function approximations near boundaries. Computers and Mathematics with Applications, 43(3–5), 473–490. 10.1016/s0898-1221(01)00299-1
• Driscoll, T. A., and Heryudono, A. R. H. (2007). Adaptive residual subsampling methods for radial basis function interpolation and collocation problems. Computers and Mathematics with Applications, 53(6), 927–939. 10.1016/j.camwa.2006.06.005
• Fornberg, B., and Driscoll, T. A. (1999). A fast spectral algorithm for nonlinear wave equations with linear dispersion. Journal of Computational Physics, 155(2), 456–467. 10.1006/jcph.1999.6351
• Driscoll, T. A., Toh, K.-C., and Trefethen, L. N. (1998). From Potential Theory to Matrix Iterations in Six Steps. SIAM Review, 40(3), 547–578. 10.1137/S0036144596305582
• Baggett, J. S., Driscoll, T. A., and Trefethen, L. N. (1995). A mostly linear model of transition to turbulence. Physics of Fluids, 7(4), 833–838. 10.1063/1.868606
• Driscoll, T. A., and Fornberg, B. (2001). A Padé-based algorithm for overcoming the Gibbs phenomenon. Numerical Algorithms, 26(1), 77–92. 10.1023/A:1016648530648
• Ghrist, M., Fornberg, B., and Driscoll, T. A. (2000). Staggered time integrators for wave equations. SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis, 38(3), 718–741. 10.1137/s0036142999351777
• Driscoll, T. A., and Vavasis, S. A. (1998). Numerical conformal mapping using cross-ratios and Delaunay triangulation. SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, 19(6), 1783–1803. 10.1137/s1064827596298580
• Driscoll, T. A., Bornemann, F., and Trefethen, L. N. (2008). The chebop system for automatic solution of differential equations. BIT Numerical Mathematics, 48(4), 701–723. 10.1007/s10543-008-0198-4
• Driscoll, T. A. (1997). Eigenmodes of isospectral drums. SIAM Review, 39(1), 1–17. 10.1137/S0036144595285069
• Driscoll, T. A. (2005). Algorithm 843: Improvements to the Schwarz-Christoffel toolbox for MATLAB. ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software (TOMS), 31(2), 239–251. 10.1145/1067967.1067971
• Driscoll, T. A., and Hale, N. (2015). Rectangular spectral collocation. IMA Journal of Numerical Analysis, 36(1), 108–132. 10.1093/imanum/dru062
• Platte, R. B., and Driscoll, T. A. (2004). Computing eigenmodes of elliptic operators using radial basis functions. Computers and Mathematics with Applications, 48(3–4), 561–576. 10.1016/j.camwa.2003.08.007
• Platte, R. B., and Driscoll, T. A. (2006). Eigenvalue stability of radial basis function discretizations for time-dependent problems. Computers and Mathematics with Applications, 51(8), 1251–1268. 10.1016/j.camwa.2006.04.007

Refereed articles with 50–100 citations

• Platte, R. B., and Driscoll, T. A. (2005). Polynomials and Potential Theory for Gaussian Radial Basis Function Interpolation. SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis, 43(2), 750–766. 10.1137/040610143
• Heryudono, A., Braun, R. J., Driscoll, T. A., Maki, K. L., Cook, Lp., and PE, K.-S. (2007). Single-equation models for the tear film in a blink cycle: Realistic lid motion. Mathematical Medicine and Biology-a Journal of The Ima, 24(4), 347–377. 10.1093/imammb/dqm004
• Driscoll, T. A. (2010). Automatic spectral collocation for integral, integro-differential, and integrally reformulated differential equations. Journal of Computational Physics, 229(17), 5980–5998. 10.1016/j.jcp.2010.04.029
• G. Wojcik, B. Fornberg, R. Waag, J. Mould, T. A. Driscoll, and L. Nikodym. Pseudospectral methods for large-scale bioacoustic models. Proceedings of the 1997 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium.
• Driscoll, T. A. (2002). A composite Runge–Kutta method for the spectral solution of semilinear PDEs. Journal of Computational Physics, 182(2), 357–367. 10.1006/jcph.2002.7127
• Goano, M., Bertazzi, F., Caravelli, P., Ghione, G., and Driscoll, T. A. (2001). A general conformal-mapping approach to the optimum electrode design of coplanar waveguides with arbitrary cross section. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 49(9), 1573–1580. 10.1109/22.942569
• Braun, R., Usha, R., McFadden, G., Driscoll, T. A., Cook, L., and King-Smith, P. E. (2012). Thin film dynamics on a prolate spheroid with application to the cornea. Journal of Engineering Mathematics, 73(1), 121–138. 10.1007/s10665-011-9482-4
• Heryudono, A. R. H., and Driscoll, T. A. (2010). Radial basis function interpolation on irregular domain through conformal transplantation. Journal of Scientific Computing, 44(3), 286–300. 10.1007/s10915-010-9380-3
• Driscoll, T. A., and Fornberg, B. (1999). Block pseudospectral methods for Maxwell’s equations II: Two-dimensional, discontinuous-coefficient case. SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, 21(3), 1146–1167. 10.1137/s106482759833320x
• Pelesko, J. A., and Driscoll, T. A. (2006). The effect of the small-aspect-ratio approximation on canonical electrostatic MEMS models. Journal of Engineering Mathematics, 53(3–4), 239–252. 10.1007/s10665-005-9013-2
• Birkisson, A., and Driscoll, T. A. (2012). Automatic Fréchet differentiation for the numerical solution of boundary-value problems. ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, 38(4), 1–29. 10.1145/2331130.2331134

Refereed articles with 20–49 citations

• L. N. Trefethen and T. A. Driscoll. Schwarz–Christoffel mapping in the computer era. Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematicians, Vol. III (Berlin, 1998). Doc. Math. 1998, Extra Vol. III, 533–542 (electronic).
• Driscoll, T. A., and Trefethen, L. N. (1996). Pseudospectra for the wave equation with an absorbing boundary. Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, 69(1), 125–142. 10.1016/0377-0427(95)00021-6
• DeLillo, T. K., Driscoll, T. A., Elcrat, A. R., and Pfaltzgraff, J. A. (2008). Radial and circular slit maps of unbounded multiply connected circle domains. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 464(2095), 1719–1737. 10.1098/rspa.2008.0006
• Driscoll, T. A., Nakatsukasa, Y., and Trefethen, L. N. (2024). AAA rational approximation on a continuum. SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, 46(2), A929–A952, 2024. 10.1137/23M1570508
• Driscoll, T. A., and Fornberg, B. (1998). A Block Pseudospectral Method for Maxwell’s Equations: I. One-Dimensional Case. J. Comput. Phys., 140, 1–19. 10.1006/jcph.1998.5883
• Braun, R. J., Driscoll, T. A., Begley, C. G., King-Smith, P. E., and Siddique, J. I. (2018). On tear film breakup (TBU): Dynamics and imaging. Mathematical Medicine and Biology, 35(2), 145–180. 10.1093/imammb/dqw023
• Maki, K. L., Braun, R. J., Driscoll, T. A., and King-Smith, P. E. (2008). An overset grid method for the study of reflex tearing. Math. Med. Biol., 25, 187–214. 10.1093/imammb/dqn013
• Driscoll, T. A., and Maki, K. L. (2007). Searching for rare growth factors using multicanonical Monte Carlo methods. SIAM Review, 49(4), 673–692. 10.1137/050637662
• Li, L., Braun, R. J., Driscoll, T. A., Henshaw, W. D., Banks, J. W., and King-Smith, P. E. (2016). Computed tear film and osmolarity dynamics on an eye-shaped domain. Mathematical Medicine and Biology, 33(2), 123–157. 10.1093/imammb/dqv013
• Deng, Q., Braun, R. J., Driscoll, T. A., and King-Smith, P. E. (2013). A model for the tear film and ocular surface temperature for partial blinks. Interfacial Phenomena and Heat Transfer, 1(4), 357–381. 10.1615/interfacphenomheattransfer.v1.i4.40
• Usher, D. C., Driscoll, T. A., Dhurjati, P., Pelesko, J. A., Rossi, L. F., Schleiniger, G., Pusecker, K., and White, H. B. (2010). A transformative model for undergraduate quantitative biology education. CBE Life Sciences Education, 9(3), 181–188. 10.1187/cbe.10-03-0029
• DeLillo, T. K., Driscoll, T. A., Elcrat, A. R., and Pfaltzgraff, J. A. (2006). Computation of multiply connected Schwarz-Christoffel maps for exterior domains. Computational Methods and Function Theory, 6(2), 301–315. 10.1007/BF03321616
• Deng, Q., Braun, R., and Driscoll, T. A. (2014). Heat transfer and tear film dynamics over multiple blink cycles. Physics of Fluids, 26(7), 071901. 10.1063/1.4887341

Recent refereed proceedings

• Tichenor, A. A., P. Situ, T. A. Driscoll, C. G. Begley, and R. J. Braun. “Linking TBU Mechanisms and the Neurosensory Response in Dry Eye Subjects.” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 65, no. 7 (2024): 6572–6572.
• Situ, P., A. A. Tichenor, T. A. Driscoll, C. G. Begley, and R. J. Braun. “Neurosensory Function Changes Induced by Tear Film Instability (TFI)-Related Stress in Dry Eye: A Pilot Study.” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 65, no. 7 (2024): 6566–6566.
• Driscoll, T. A., A. A. Tichenor, P. Situ, R. J. Braun, and C. G. Begley. “Optimized Models of Tear Breakup (TBU) Mechanisms in Dry-Eye (DE) and Non-DE Subjects.” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 65, no. 7 (2024): 6559–6559.
• R. J. Braun, T. Driscoll, C. Begley, P. Situ, A. Tichenor, and R. Luke, “Tear Breakup (TBU) Analysis with Fluorescence (FL) and Thermal (TH) imaging,” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, vol. 64, no. 8, pp. 186–186, Jun. 2023.
• R. J. Braun, T. A. Driscoll et al., “Data and Analysis from Tear Breakup (TBU) in Normal Subjects,” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, vol. 63, no. 7, pp. 3950-A0230, Jun. 2022.
• R. A. Luke et al., “Fitting Simplified Models to Machine Learning-Identified Tear Film Breakup,” in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Jun. 2021, vol. 62, p. 1315.

Software

• T. A. Driscoll. RationalFunctionApproximation.jl. Approximation by rational functions in Julia. 2025–
• T. A. Driscoll. ComplexRegions.jl. Complex regions and paths in Julia. 2019–
• L. N. Trefethen and others, Chebfun. Numerical computing with functions. 2008–2014
• T. A. Driscoll. Schwarz–Christoffel Toolbox for MATLAB. Conformal maps to regions bounded by polygons. 1994–2002

Graduate students supervised

Yuxing Zhou, Ph. D. candidate; Arnab Roy, Ph. D. candidate; Qinying Chen, Ph. D. expected 2026; Kevin Aiton, Ph.D.; Shawn Abernethy, M.S. with thesis; Quan Deng, Ph.D.; Alfa Heryudono, Ph.D.; Rodrigo Platte, Ph.D.

Service highlights

Delaware

• Director of Graduate Studies (Delaware), 2011–2014
• Director of Undergraduate Studies (Delaware), 2018–2021
• Chaired ad hoc committee to create B.S. degree in Data Science
• Director of the Master of Science program in Data Science, 2023–2025
• ADVANCE Fellow and Senior Fellow, 2020–2023
• University Strategic Planning Working Group on Redefining Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2021

Profession

• Editor-in-Chief of the SIAM book series on Software, Environments, and Tools, 2026–present
• Communicating Editor of Advances in Computational Mathematics, 2019–present
• At-Large Member of the SIAM Council, 2015–2018
• Associate Editor of Journal of Engineering Mathematics, 2010–2015
• Associate Editor of the SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, 2008–2014