Biography

James Baglama, Ph.D., has been a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island since 2002, where he serves as a professor in both the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematical Sciences and the Data Science Program. With over 30 years of experience in academia, Dr. Baglama has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers in leading journals, developed sophisticated computer programs, and led the department as chair for ten years. His research spans numerical linear algebra, biomathematics, and scientific computing, with a particular emphasis on creating algorithms for Partial Singular Value Decomposition (PSVD). These algorithms have found applications in areas such as matrix completion, imaging, machine learning, genomics, and data science. Notably, his work on PSVD algorithms underpins MATLAB’s svds.m function, while the R version (irlba.R) has been downloaded over four million times. In his teaching role, Dr. Baglama teaches courses in linear algebra, general education, and graduate-level numerical linear algebra and analysis. He actively mentors Ph.D. students and serves on several university-wide committees. Additionally, Dr. Baglama has received awards for his excellence in online course design and administration.