News & EventsDepartment Events
Events
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Nov16
EVENT DETAILS
lessRegular registration for Winter quarter begins
TIME Monday, November 16, 2026
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Nov17
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: The Hidden Architecture of Disease: How Animal Behavior Shapes Infectious Disease Transmission
Speaker: Dr. Shweta Bansal, Georgetown University
Abstract: Host social behavior represents a major gap in our understanding of infectious disease dynamics, from emergence to forecasting to elimination. In this talk, I'll use a comparative analysis across 90+ animal species to show the opportunities and constraints social networks provide for infectious disease transmission. I'll conclude with a case study of bottlenose dolphins, demonstrating how integrating social and spatial network data can predict individual disease vulnerability and optimize wildlife surveillance strategies.
Bio: Shweta Bansal is a Professor at the Department of Biology at Georgetown University. She also serves as graduate faculty in the Global Infectious Diseases PhD Program and the Biology PhD Program and is an Affiliate Faculty for the Massive Data Institute, the Global Health Institute, and Earth Commons. With a passion for interdisciplinary approaches, she has made significant contributions to mathematical epidemiology, disease ecology, network science, and public health.
Dr. Bansal earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at Santa Clara University. She then pursued her graduate education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned an M.S. in Computational & Applied Mathematics and a Ph.D. in mathematical epidemiology with a focus on network modeling. Her doctoral research focused on developing innovative mathematical models and algorithms to better understand the spread and design effective control strategies for infectious diseases within populations. After completing her doctorate, Dr. Bansal became a fellow of the prestigious RAPIDD Postdoctoral Program and developed novel methods for understanding the spread of foreign animal diseases of national security concern. During this time, she also advised the Subcommittee on Foreign Animal Disease Threats of the National Science and Technology Council.
Beyond her research endeavors, Dr. Bansal is deeply committed to teaching and mentorship. She has supervised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, guiding them in their research and to pursue careers in computational epidemiology and public health.
Since 2024, Dr. Bansal has served as the Chair of the Founding Committee of the Global Society for Infectious Disease Dynamics (GSIDD), a new global professional society to serve the community of researchers, practitioners, and educators in infectious disease dynamics. Additionally, she is involved in various community outreach initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of an inclusive, diverse, and just future for the next generation of scientists.Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/94342367823
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TIME Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Natalie Masini natalie.masini@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Nov24
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Symmetry Breaking, Directed Movement, and Organized Tissue Response from Local Interactions
Speaker: Dr. Calina Copos, Northeastern University
Abstract: Pattern formation and symmetry breaking have long been areas of interest in applied mathematics. In living systems, these questions take on additional complexities: molecular interactions generate dynamic intracellular structures, individual cells develop persistent migratory behaviors, and populations of cells coordinate their dynamics to produce spatiotemporal patterns. A central question is how do biological systems break symmetry, select among competing dynamical states, and coordinate response across scales?
Using cell doublets as the smallest nontrivial collective unit, I will discuss mathematical models, computational methods, and dynamical systems approaches for investigating how local feedback, geometry, and confinement shape these collective dynamical states. We examine how mechanochemical interactions generate directional and coordinated migration, biases, and how nonlinear feedback and spatial coupling give rise to coherent oscillations, traveling waves, and other patterns. Extending these principles to larger cell clusters and tissues reveals emergent organization with implications for development, wound healing, and limb regeneration. These examples illustrate how mathematical models can bridge scales and uncover principles by which local interactions generate global organization.
Bio: Calina Copos is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Biology at Northeastern University. Her research group is broadly interested in mathematical biology and numerical and computational methods for PDEs, with a particular focus on the cell cytoskeleton and cell migration in tissue development, homeostasis, and regeneration. Prof. Copos received her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics at University of California, Davis and did her postdoctoral work at the Courant Institute at New York University.
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/94290664465
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Natalie Masini natalie.masini@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Nov25
EVENT DETAILS
lessThanksgiving Vacation begins at 6:00 PM (No classes, University offices closed)
TIME Wednesday, November 25, 2026
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Nov30
EVENT DETAILS
lessFall Classes Resume
TIME Monday, November 30, 2026
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Dec5
EVENT DETAILS
lessFall classes end
TIME Saturday, December 5, 2026
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Dec7
EVENT DETAILS
lessFall Exams begin
TIME Monday, December 7, 2026
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Dec12
EVENT DETAILS
lessFall exams end
TIME Saturday, December 12, 2026
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
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Dec12
EVENT DETAILSmore info
lessThe ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 12 in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive.
TIME Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
LOCATION Pick-Staiger Concert Hall map it
CONTACT Andi Joppie andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
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Dec24
EVENT DETAILS
lessWinter Recess Starts - University Closed Through January 1st, 2027
TIME Thursday, December 24, 2026
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar