Mathematics Faculty & Staff

I am an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Western Kentucky University. I joined WKU in 2016 after postdoctoral appointments at the University of Waterloo (2011–2013) and the University of Nevada, Reno (2013–2016). I was promoted to Associate Professor in 2021.

My academic background includes:

• 2011   PhD, Applied Mathematics, Iowa State University
• 2006   MS, Pure Mathematics, International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy
• 2004   MS, Engineering Mechanics, Istanbul Technical University
• 2001   BS, Mathematical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University

I was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in France during 2024–2025, where I conducted collaborative research and served as a Visiting Professor at Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France. I currently serve as a Board Member of the Kentucky Chapter of the Fulbright Association.

My professional activities span applied mathematics, control theory, partial differential equations, scientific computing, and interdisciplinary mathematical modeling.

Undergraduate Courses

• MATH 117: Trigonometry
• MATH 136: Calculus I
• MATH 137: Calculus II
• MATH 237: Multivariable Calculus
• MATH 307: Introduction to Linear Algebra
• MATH 331: Differential Equations
• MATH 337: Elements of Real Analysis
• MATH 405: Numerical Analysis I
• MATH 435: Partial Differential Equations

Graduate and Special-Topics Courses

• MATH 500: Readings in Mathematics
• MATH 590: Introduction to PDE Control Theory
• MATH 598: Essentials of Control of PDEs
• MATH 599: Thesis/Research

I have also developed and taught online/on-demand versions of Calculus I, Calculus II, and Differential Equations. My upper-level and graduate teaching frequently connects mathematical analysis with computation, modeling, control theory, and applications.

My research focuses on mathematical and computational methods for the modeling, analysis, control, and approximation of complex dynamical systems. My research interests include:

• Partial differential equations and dynamical systems
• Control and stabilization of PDE and hybrid PDE–ODE systems
• Boundary and interface control
• Structure-preserving numerical approximation
• Smart materials and flexible structures
• Mathematical modeling of interconnected and distributed-parameter systems
• Scientific computing and numerical analysis

Applications of my work include vibration suppression, smart-material systems, energy harvesting, flexible structures, MEMS, and related engineering systems.

A significant component of my research program involves mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. Students in my research group participate in theoretical and computational research, present their work at regional, national, and international conferences, and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.

Selected Sponsored Research and Research Awards

• Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, France, 2024–2025
• Kentucky NSF EPSCoR research support
• Western Kentucky University Research & Creative Activities Program (RCAP) awards
• Western Kentucky University Faculty-Undergraduate Student Engagement (FUSE) awards

My research collaborations include mathematicians, engineers, and control scientists from the United States and internationally, spanning collaborations in the USA, France, Italy, Canada, Brazil, and China.

1. A. Ö. Özer (2026), “A Maxwell-Consistent Variational Framework for Piezoelectric Laminates: From Single Plates to Multilayer Structures,” Acta Mechanica, 1–26.
2. M. Akil, Z. Brown, I. Issa, and A. Ö. Özer (2026), “Polynomial t⁻¹/ᴺ Energy Decay Estimate for Boundary-Only Control of Serially Connected Wave Networks with N Inertia-Generating Interfaces,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control.
3. M. Akil, S. Ismail, A. Ö. Özer, and G. Fragnelli (2026), “Extending the SCOLE Paradigm to Networks of Beams and a Novel Mixed-Order Boundary-Interface Control Strategy,” Applied Mathematics & Optimization, 94, Article 3.
4. A. Ö. Özer, A. K. Aydin, and R. Emran (2025), “Exponential Stability and Design of Sensor Feedback Amplifiers for Fast Stabilization of Magnetizable Piezoelectric Beam Equations,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 70(2), 1374–1379.
5. M. Akil, I. Issa, A. Ö. Özer, and C. Pignotti (2025), “New Stability Results for Piezoelectric Beams with a Dynamic Tip Load: Partial Damping and the Interplay of Lower- and Higher-Order Effects,” Applied Mathematics & Optimization, 92, Article 23, 1–34.
6. M. Akil, S. Nicaise, A. Ö. Özer, and H. Saleh (2025), “Advancing Insights into the Stabilization of Novel Serially Connected Magnetizable Piezoelectric and Elastic Beams,” SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization, 63(3), 1798–1825.
7. A. K. Aydin, Z. Haider, and A. Ö. Özer (2024), “A New Semi-Discretization of the Fully Clamped Euler-Bernoulli Beam Preserving Boundary Observability Uniformly,” IEEE Control Systems Letters, 8, 2955–2960.

For a complete list of my publications, current research projects, student research activities, and presentations, please see my professional research webpage.