JMU math professor awarded for excellence in undergraduate mentorship

Caroline Lubert, a math professor in James Madison University’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics, was recently selected by the Council on Undergraduate Research for this year’s Mathematical, Computing, and Statistical Sciences Division Advanced Career Faculty Mentor Award. 

The award recognizes a leading mentor of undergraduate students in research.  

“The selection committee was impressed by Dr. Lubert’s mentorship of over 80 undergraduate students and co-authorship of more than 30 publications with these students in high-quality peer-reviewed journals,” according to CUR. “The impact of her work with students in the anechoic chamber and at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility is unique and, in many cases, life-changing for the undergraduates.” 

Lubert has been a math professor at JMU since 1999. Her research in JMU’s Aeroacoustics Lab focuses on acoustics, particularly the sound emitted by high-speed jets. Her interdisciplinary mentoring activities have centered around jet noise, specifically on the liftoff noise emitted by Northrop Grumman Innovative Systems’ Antares rocket, the launch vehicle for one of the two U.S. Commercial Cargo Spacecraft currently contracted to resupply the International Space Station. Antares launches from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, and its proximity to JMU has made it ideal for Lubert to provide a hands-on, real-world experience to her research students.  

“Undergraduate research has always been closely involved in my research,” Lubert said. “My goals as a mentor are to inspire students about mathematics and to help students develop into inquisitive, thoughtful and caring adults, equipped with skills that will help them achieve their post-graduate ambitions,” added Lubert.  

John Elder (’16), a lead engineer for Rocket Lab, a leading commercial launch provider at Wallops Island, says he still uses the principals and problem-solving skills Lubert helped him develop under her tutelage.  

“Her mentorship during my undergraduate years in her research lab was beyond impactful,” Elder said. “Not only has she been instrumental in the development of my undergraduate studies and the start of my career, but I continue to utilize her research in my work,” Elder added.  

Another of Lubert’s former students, Abigail Maltese (’22), a current graduate research assistant at Texas A&M University, said Lubert served as an invaluable mentor for her entire undergraduate career.  

“She is great at explaining what she does and the application the (research) work could have in the research community and industry,” Maltese said. “The course of my life completely changed when I stepped into Dr. Lubert’s lab — she was vital to my love and passion for research and uncovering the unknown.”