Rebecca Mitchell, an applied mathematics graduate student, does research in dynamical systems. She works with Professor Jim Meiss to investigate methods of optimizing stirring of finite-time mixing problems. She uses area-preserving maps applied to a two-dimensional domain to model simple stirring mechanisms applied to a fluid. Given some initial concentration of a substance such as salt or dye, she uses both analytic and computational methods to find stirring schemes to distribute the concentration as effectively as possible. In the future, she hopes to apply these two dimensional-problems to three dimensional problems of fluid flowing through a pipe.
Mitchell is originally from Fort Collins, Colorado. She earned an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Colorado College before coming to CU Boulder. In her free time, she enjoys coaching women’s ultimate frisbee.