Jillian Stupiansky

Courses for Fall 2022:

MT 130-52 Applied Calculus

MT 135-51 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I

Courses for Spring 2023:

MT 135 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I

MT 135 Calculus and Analytic Geometry II

Biography

I started teaching at John Carroll in Fall 2022 after spending 8 years as a professor at the University of North Alabama and 1 year at Westminster College in Missouri.  During my time as an undergraduate at Birmingham-Southern, a small liberal arts college, I loved being a part of the strong community,  getting to participate in a wide variety of academic opportunities, and playing on the women's golf team.  I am excited to experience a similar thriving environment at JCU!

Teaching is my passion, and I have experience with courses ranging from the general education level through upper-level major courses.  In particular, my favorite courses to teach are Calculus II, Introduction to Proofs, and Applied Math electives that have an interdisciplinary component.  Examples of these courses I've taught previously include Math in Industry (sponsored by a PIC Math grant - Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematics) and Characterizing DNA Exceptions (in conjunction with HudsonAlpha Institute for BioTechnology).

My area of research is mathematical biology, specifically modeling the spread of diseases.  This field is exciting and accessible, providing many opportunities for students to get involved!  These "choose your own adventure" research endeavors can be personalized so that students pick the disease that really interests them as well as the factors they think are most important to incorporate into their model.  I have had the chance to mentor more than 20 students in the study of "diseases" of their choosing, modeling the spread of everything from Covid-19 to forest fires to a zombie apocalypse.  

Originally from Lakewood, Ohio, I am thrilled to be back in the Cleveland area.  Having just moved from a much smaller area, I am anxious to take advantage of all the city has to offer.  My current goal is to find 52 fun and unique things to do in my first year!  I especially love any lake-related activities, watching various sporting events, and visiting myriad parks and playgrounds with my family.

What is the most memorable college course you took and why?

Having attended a liberal arts college myself, I really appreciated getting to take a wide variety of courses outside my major. My undergraduate institution had a January Term semester, where you took a single class that lasted just a month. So my absolute favorite class was taken during that semester, called Interim at Sea. We spent 3 weeks in the Caribbean aboard a 100-ft sailboat learning to sail! I also really enjoyed my photography class. I loved getting to do everything from taking photos, to developing them in the darkroom, to matting and framing them for presentation. It was very rewarding getting to work on every aspect of the entire process. Within my major, my favorite math course was Foundations of Math. This was an introductory proof-writing course, which was challenging but also laid a strong foundation for my entire math career.

What made you decide to go into your field

Growing up, I wanted to be a high school teacher, because I loved school myself and wanted to stay in the classroom. And math was always my favorite subject. Math problems are really just puzzles, and I enjoy the challenge and reward of successfully solving them. Once I experienced the atmosphere on a college campus, I decided I wanted to teach math at the college level instead.

What attracted you to John Carroll University?

I was working at the University of North Alabama, but hoping to be able to move closer to family in the Cleveland area. Being from Northeast Ohio, I was already aware of John Carroll's excellent academic reputation and commitment to developing the "whole person", so I was very interested when a job opening was posted. During my interview, I was also blown away by the university's commitment to service and the feeling of community on campus.

What are some of your favorite pastimes, interests, or passions outside of work?

I love playing and watching sports. I played golf at Birmingham-Southern, and follow all Cleveland teams as well as the Buckeyes. I enjoy any outdoor activities, especially near the lake or beach, and taking my son to explore as many parks and playgrounds as we can find. I also like making crafts and baking, though I'm not great at either of those things!

What are you most looking forward to this year?

I am especially excited to begin working with students at JCU. In only a short amount of time, I have already been amazed by their passion and eagerness to ask questions and learn!

Selected Publications

• J. Stupiansky and J. Stovall, ``Modeling the devastation of hemlock trees in the Great Smoky Mountains'', (in preparation).
• Kimbrough, L. J., Figueroa, C. E., Stupiansky, J. C., Jones, S. R., ``Pressure Drop of Respirable Dust Cyclone Samplers'', International Journal of Occupational Hygiene, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Vol 11 No 2, pp. 114-125, August 2019.
• J. Jerkins and J. Stupiansky, ``Mitigating IoT insecurity with inoculation epidemics'', Proceedings of the ACMSE 2018 Conference, ACM, pp. 4:1-4:6, March 2018.
• K. Jacobsen, J. Stupiansky, and S. Pilyugin, ``Mathematical modeling of citrus groves infected by Huanglongbing'', Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 10(3): 705-728, June 2013.