This past May, the FIU Department of Mathematics and Statistics proudly hosted the Fourth Annual Joint Alabama-Florida Conference on Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems, and Applications (JAF DEDS). From May 15 to 19, our campus became a vibrant hub for the mathematical community, bringing together scholars from across the region to discuss the latest developments in nonlinear waves, spectral theory, and evolution equations.
We would like to thank Dean Walter Van Hamme for opening our conference, the College of Arts Science and Education (CASE) for their finacial support for the conference, Auburn University for their support of the graduate workshop, and the NSF-DMS grant.
The event featured an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers, including Daniel Tataru, Mihaela Ifrim, Javier Gómez-Serrano, and Lev Kapitanski. Their presentations not only showcased the depth of current research but also reminded us of the collaborative spirit that drives our field forward.
AI in Industry
A highlight of this year’s gathering was the focus on the rapidly evolving role of Artificial Intelligence in mathematics. During the Graduate Workshop, we were delighted to welcome Aslihan Demirkaya from Amazon, who shared her own transformative journey from pure mathematics to data science and industry.
Aslihan provided a practical look at how "Agentic AI" can streamline the often-exhausting process of academic job applications—a demonstration that resonated deeply with our students. Reflecting on the future, she noted that while AI is increasingly capable of generating code and assisting with theorems, human qualities like curiosity, adaptability, and creativity will remain more essential than ever. "I don’t think anyone has all the answers yet," Aslihan shared, "but I believe the ability to work with AI, rather than against it, will matter more than ever."
Supporting the Next Generation
The graudate workshop served as a crucial introductory bridge for our students, offering a more accessible primer that helped them engage more deeply with the fast-paced expert talks of the main conference. Beyond the technical sessions, many attendees reflected on the unique community feel of the JAF series. One graduate student noted the importance of returning to the same conference series, sharing that "having already met most of the graduate students made it more comfortable to talk and network."
The conference also provided a platform to showcase the impressive research of our graduate students. We are proud to recognize Chandler Haight (FIU), Christian Hirni (University of Missouri - Columbia), Alex David Rodriguez (FIU) and Luisa Velasco (University of Texas - Austin) as the winners of this year’s poster session. We look forward to seeing their future contributions to the field.
Looking Forward
Putting on an event of this scale is no small feat, and it wouldn't have been possible without the visionary leadership of the organizers, Svetlana Roudenko, Ziad Musslimani, Milena Stanislavova, and Selim Sukhtaiev, who were instrumental in guiding the week’s success with an extra shout out to Selim Sukhtaiev for managing Auburn University's extra support of the workshop.
We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the amazing graduate students whose support was crucial throughout the event. This event wouldn’t have been possible without them, with special shoutouts to Melissa De Jesus, Chandler Haight, Alex David Rodriguez, Diana Son, and Justin Wisby for their assistance during the conference with Alex and Justin being graduate co-organizers of the event. Your hard work behind the scenes was truly invaluable to our department.
As we conclude this year’s successful gathering, we are already looking forward to the next chapter of this collaboration. The Fifth Annual JAF Conference will be held at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, in Spring 2027. We wish all our participants the best in their future endeavors and hope to see you all at Auburn!
