Hello,
I’m Talea
Scholar, Mentor, Friend
I'm a computational mathematician who develops cutting-edge methods to comprehensively understand coastal flood risk as part of collaborative efforts to design resilient societies.
RESEARCH
I am an interdisciplinary scholar whose work lies at the intersection of computational and applied mathematics, coastal ocean processes, and civil engineering. I specialize in the numerical modeling of hurricane storm surges. My research focuses on developing these models and state-of-the-art methods to better understand the evolving coastal flood hazard. I have deep expertise in the numerical model ADCIRC, and have developed and applied methods of statistical data assimilation, extreme value analysis, and multilinear algebra, among others. I implement my research in partnership with agencies, scientists, and engineers who share the common goal of increasing coastal resilience.
OUTREACH
As a Black female mathematician, I'm passionate about increasing representation in STEM. My experiences have driven me to mentor young Black students and address educational disparities through initiatives like teaching extracurricular math to high school girls and participating in prison education programs. I believe in fostering strong mathematical foundations and providing opportunities for those who may not have had access to quality education.
ABOUT ME
My journey from Colorado to a historically Black university in Louisiana shaped my passion for atmospheric science, particularly hurricane studies. Experiencing Hurricanes Katrina and Rita firsthand sparked my interest in storm surge modeling, which I pursued through graduate research and academic positions. Now, I continue to contribute to this field while also embracing my love for running, music, and family.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Maya Angelou