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  Julie Simons

Julie Simons

Associate Professor of Teaching

 

she/her/hers

Baskin School of Engineering

Applied Mathematics

Associate Professor of Teaching

Faculty

Regular Faculty

Mathematical Modeling
Cell Biology
Fluid Dynamics
Mathematics Education

Jack Baskin Engineering Building
365B

Engineering

Dr. Julie Simons is an applied mathematician specializing in cellular motility, modeling, and computational simulation, with a particular interest in undergraduate education and equity initiatives. She started off her mathematical trajectory at UC Berkeley, majoring in pure math with a minor in statistics, before transitioning to studying applications in biology at UW Madison. After postdocs at UC Irvine and Tulane University, she joined the California State University system to focus on STEM education at CSU Maritime Academy. There, her work centered on curricular innovation, DEI initiatives, and undergraduate research opportunities. The innovation and social justice mission of UC Santa Cruz align well with Dr. Simons' interests and ultimately led to her accept a teaching faculty position at UCSC in 2024. 

I specialize in mathematical modeling in biological settings; curricular innovation and technology; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education. 

Mathematical modeling; cellular motility; sperm motility; computational simulation; Stokes flow; technology in education; data science; STEM outreach; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. 

Anything in applied mathematics or foundational to mathematics and its applications!

 

Grants:

  • California Learning Lab, Addressing Generative AI Literacy Gaps in Gateway Writing and Mathematics Courses (2025-26) (co-PI)
  • California Learning Lab, Building and Bridging Data Science Opportunities in Solano County (2023-26) (PI, then external co-lead)
  • CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST), Undergraduate Research Awards (2022-24) (Faculty Advisor)
  • CSU Maritime: Research, Scholarly & Creative Activities Award (2021-22, 2017-18) (PI)
  • CSU STEM-NET Seed Grant (2019-20) (PI)
  • CSU BIOTECH (CSUPERB) New Investigator Award (2019-20) (PI)
  • CSU Graduation Initiative 2025, Maritime Math Education (2019-20) (PI)
  • CSU Graduation Initiative 2025, iPads for Active Learning (2019-20),  (PI)
  • CSU Maritime Provost's Curriculum Redesign Grant, Statistics-Critical Thinking co-Teaching Design (2018) (PI)
  • CSU Course Redesign with Technology, Bringing Technology into Intro Statistics (2017-18) (PI)

Awards and Fellowships:

  • Exceptional Level of Service to Students Award, CSU Maritime, 2024
  • CSU STEM-NET Faculty Fellow, 2023-24
  • Mission Achievement in Academic Excellence Award, CSU Maritime, 2021
  • Outstanding Service Award, CSU Maritime, 2019
  • Outstanding Scholar Award, CSU Maritime, 2018

Simons, J. and A. Rosenberger (2021). Flagellar Cooperativity and Collective Motion in Sperm, Fluids, 6, 353.

Simons, J. and S. Olson (2018). Sperm motility: models for dynamic behavior in complex environments, Cell Movement, Birkhauser, Cham, pp. 169--209.

Simons, J. and L. Fauci (2018). A model for the acrosome reaction in mammalian sperm, Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, Volume 80, Issue 9, pp. 2481--2501.

Cripe, P., Richfield, O., and J. Simons (2016). Sperm pairing and measures of efficiency in planar swimming models, Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics, Volume 2, Issue 1, Article 5. 

Simons, J., Fauci, L. and R. Cortez (2015). A fully three-dimensional model of the interaction of driven elastic filaments in a Stokes fluid with applications to sperm motility, Journal of Biomechanics, Volume 48, Issue 9, pp. 1639--1651.

De Pillis, L., Hood, K., Graham, E.J., Ma, Y., Radunskaya, A. and J. Simons (2015). Injury-initiated clot formation under flow: a mathematical model with warfarin treatment, Applications of Dynamical Systems in Biology and Medicine. The IMA Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications, Vol. 158, pp. 75--98.

Simons, J., Olson, S., Cortez, R. and L. Fauci (2014). The dynamics of sperm detachment from epithelium in a coupled fluid-biochemical model of hyperactivated motility, Journal of Theoretical Biology 354C, pp. 81--94.

Simons, J. and P. Milewski (2011). The volcano effect in bacterial chemotaxis, Mathematical and Computer Modelling, Special Issue on Biophysical Phenomena. Volume 53, pp. 1374--1388.

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