Dr. Lorena Aguirre Salazar, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, United States
Dr. Lorena Aguirre Salazar is a passionate mathematician specializing in pattern formation, variational models, and PDEs. She earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from McMaster University 🇨🇦, with prior studies at Technion 🇮🇱 and Universidad Nacional de Colombia 🇨🇴. Dr. Aguirre has taught at institutions across North and South America, including Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 🇺🇸, and has presented her research globally. She actively promotes equity, inclusion, and belonging in mathematics education 🎓. Her work is published in top journals such as SIAM J. Math. Anal. and BLMS
Publication Profile
Google Scholar
🎓 Educational Background
Dr. Lorena Aguirre Salazar holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics (2016–2021) from McMaster University 🇨🇦, where she researched energy models under the guidance of Drs. Stan Alama and Lia Bronsard. She earned her M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics (2012–2014) at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology 🇮🇱, focusing on semi-linear elliptic systems. She completed her B.Sc. in Mathematics (2009–2011) at Universidad Nacional de Colombia 🇨🇴. In 2010, she attended exchange and summer programs in Chile 🇨🇱 and Brazil 🇧🇷, gaining additional training in Fourier analysis, PDEs, measure theory, and functional analysis.
🔬 Research Interests
Dr. Lorena Aguirre Salazar’s research focuses on pattern formation within the framework of the Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) 🧮. Her work explores the mathematical structures that govern complex physical and biological phenomena. Beyond theoretical mathematics, she is deeply engaged in higher education research, emphasizing community building and a sense of belonging among students in mathematics classrooms 👩🏫🤝. She advocates for inclusive teaching practices that foster emotional and social well-being alongside academic growth 🎓💬. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges rigorous analysis with impactful educational methodologies.
🎓 Professional Development
Dr. Lorena Aguirre Salazar has actively pursued diverse professional development initiatives to enhance both her mathematical and educational expertise 🌟. She completed a directed study in 2025 on social and emotional learning in mathematics education 🧠❤️. She was part of the TPSE Leadership Institute (2022–2023), focusing on building community in post-secondary math education 🏫🤝. Dr. Aguirre also earned multiple online specializations and certificates from leading universities on topics such as virtual teaching, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and mental health support 💻🌍. At McMaster University, she completed several teaching-focused certifications, including Instructional Skills and Learning Foundations
👩🏫 Professional Experience
Dr. Lorena Aguirre Salazar has amassed a dynamic teaching and research portfolio across North and South America 🌎. She currently serves as a faculty member at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, teaching courses in statistical modeling, calculus, and fundamental mathematics 📊🧮. She has held roles as a part-time instructor at Niagara College (Canada) and Assistant Professor at Lakehead University and Valdosta State University, covering diverse mathematical topics from numerical analysis to vector analysis 🔢📐. Her academic journey includes instructor and teaching assistant roles at McMaster University, as well as prior experience in Colombia at Universidad Nacional and Universidad de Caldas 🇨🇴🎓
🔬 Research Focus
Dr. Lorena Aguirre Salazar’s research lies at the intersection of applied mathematics, particularly in partial differential equations (PDEs) and the calculus of variations 🧮🌀. Her work addresses complex models like the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizsäcker (TFDW) theory and Ohta–Kawasaki models, with applications in quantum mechanics and materials science ⚛️🧊. She explores pattern formation, mass splitting phenomena, and energy convergence in physical systems. Her mathematical modeling extends to theoretical physics and functional analysis 🔍📈. Additionally, Dr. Aguirre Salazar is passionate about mathematics education, focusing on community building and inclusion in academic settings
Publication Top Notes
📄 A remark on weakly contractive mappings – Journal of Nonlinear and Convex Analysis, 2015 | Cited by: 33 🔁
📄 Mass splitting in the Thomas–Fermi–Dirac–von Weizsäcker model with background potential – Journal of Mathematical Physics, 2020 | Cited by: 4 🔬
📄 Convergence of the TFDW Energy to the Liquid Drop Model – SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis, 2021 | Cited by: 1 📘
📄 An Ohta–Kawasaki model set on the space – Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society, 2024 | Cited by: — 🧩
📄 Solutions and limits of the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-Von Weizsäcker energy with background potential – Dissertation, 2021 | Cited by: — 🎓