Jeffrey Utley

Title: Mathematics PhD Candidate (Computational Science)
Email: utleyj@purdue.edu
Advisors: Greg Buzzard (Math), Charlie Bouman (ECE)
Dissertation: Synthetic Data Generation for Aero-Optics
Education: B.S. in Honors Mathematics, University of Tennessee (2022)
Interests: Synthetic Data Generation, Computational Imaging, Inverse Problems, Scientific Software
GitHub: github.com/jeffreyutley
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-utley
ResearchGate: researchgate.net/profile/Jeffrey-Utley

Research Bio

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Mathematics at Purdue University (Computational Science concentration), developing statistically validated synthetic data generation algorithms and reproducible scientific software for turbulence-driven imaging and simulation. I work in the Integrated Imaging Lab under the guidance of Profs. Greg Buzzard and Charlie Bouman, with three years of DoD-funded research in active collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT).

My algorithms simulate the complex optical distortions caused by high-speed aerodynamic turbulence. Using both physics-based models with modern statistical learning methods, I build validated synthetic data pipelines that serve as a “virtual testbed,” enabling engineers to evaluate and refine Adaptive Optics (AO) correction systems computationally and avoid the prohibitive costs of physical experiments. All algorithms are released as pip-installable, version-controlled Python packages with reproducible examples and full documentation.

Research at a Glance

4 first-author papers — Optical Engineering and Journal of the Optical Society of America A (both in press); 2 SPIE Optics + Photonics proceedings
2 open-source Python packages — AOModel and BoilingFlow, both validated on measured wind tunnel data
8 conference presentations — SPIE Optics + Photonics, Electronic Imaging, and Directed Energy S&T Symposia
3 years of DoD-funded research — AFRL Scholars Program (2024 & 2026) and ORISE/AFIT Doctoral Research Fellow (2025)
Worst-case 4% NRMSE on the temporal power spectrum (ReVAR algorithm), substantially improving over existing methods

Open-Source Software

AOModel

Python pip-installable ReVAR

pip-installable Python package implementing the ReVAR algorithm for data-driven synthesis of aero-optic phase screens. Validated on two wind tunnel datasets with worst-case 4% NRMSE on the temporal power spectrum.

pip install aomodel

View Code on GitHub

BoilingFlow

Python pip-installable Boiling Flow

pip-installable Python package implementing Boiling Flow parameter estimation and anisotropic phase-screen generation; extends a Fourier-based synthesis method with automated parameter estimation, validated on measured wind tunnel data.

pip install boiling-flow

View Code on GitHub

Technical Skills

Methods:

Synthetic Data Generation Inverse Problems Parameter Estimation Spectral Analysis Numerical Optimization Statistical Modeling Bayesian Inference Signal & Image Processing

Languages:

Python C/C++ MATLAB Julia

Scientific Computing:

NumPy/SciPy pandas Matplotlib Jupyter OpenCV seaborn

Machine Learning:

PyTorch JAX

HPC & Systems:

Linux/UNIX Bash SSH Slurm

Reproducibility & Tools:

Git/GitHub pip/conda setuptools/pyproject

Recent News

May 2026 Started my second consecutive AFRL Scholars Program appointment.

May 2026 "ReVAR: A data-driven algorithm for generating aero-optic phase screens" was accepted for publication in Journal of the Optical Society of America A.

May 2026 "Boiling flow estimation for aero-optic phase screen generation" was accepted for publication in Optical Engineering.

Apr 2026 Presented "ReVAR: A data-driven algorithm for generating aero-optic phase screens" at the Annual Directed Energy Science and Technology Symposium & Education Workshop in Tucson, AZ.

Apr 2026 Submitted a new preprint: "ReVAR: A data-driven algorithm for generating aero-optic phase screens" (arXiv:2604.02326).

Leadership & Service

As President of the Purdue SIAM Student Chapter, I lead the planning of social events to foster a collaborative student community. I also coordinate logistics for the annual SIAM Student Chapter Conference, providing a platform for research dissemination and professional networking (see the 2026 Conference).

Additionally, I co-organize the weekly Purdue SCAM/CCAM Lunch Seminar, where I facilitate technical exchange among graduate students and postdocs in computational science by recruiting speakers and managing seminar operations.

I also serve as a peer reviewer for Optical Engineering (SPIE), where I have reviewed two manuscripts since 2025.

Honors & Awards

Doctoral Research Fellow, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education / AFIT (2025)
SPIE Student Conference Support Award (2024)
College of Science Graduate Student Travel Award, Purdue University (2024)
John H. Barrett Prize, University of Tennessee (2022)
Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program Funding, University of Tennessee (2021)

About Me

Originally from Nashville, TN, I earned my B.S. at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where I enjoyed hiking in the Smoky Mountains (Mount Le Conte being a favorite). Since August 2022 I’ve been in West Lafayette, IN for graduate school, where I've found a similar enjoyment at nearby trails such as Wabash Heritage Trail, Prophetstown State Park, and Turkey Run State Park. Outside research, I enjoy live music in Indianapolis and Chicago — mostly genre-blending acts in blues, rock, jazz, funk, bluegrass, and country.