Hala Nelson

For speaking inquiries, please email nelsonhy-at-jmu-dot-edu



I am a Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at James Madison University . My previous name is Hala AH Shehadeh. Before JMU, I was a postdoc at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor mathematics department . I finished my Ph.D. in 2010 at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University.

Enjoy my first book Essential Math for AI with O'Reilly Media.

Follow my journey as I write my second book and build the Foundations of AI and Data.

Follow me on LinkedIn

Visit my personal blog: How It All Happened

When I am not doing mathematical models, I model: Non-mathematical Modeling




AI and Data Strategy at JMU

  • Follow this work at JMU President's AI Task Force
  • AI and data strategy at JMU naturally interfaces with Re-engineering Madison project and Data Governance structures

    Artificial Intelligence Generation- AI Native

    When my daughter was 10, while randomly chatting with a robot girl on an app, she comes to me and says: I love the idea of artificial intelligence, it's like raising a child, you're slowly influencing and informing its personality as you chat with it. And just like that, Sary summed up the way AI works without even thinking about it. That's the generation of AI. They naturally get it.

    Research Interests

  • Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science
  • Applied Mathematics and Modeling
  • Mathematical Aspects of Materials Science
  • Inverse Problems and Imaging

    Sign up for these exciting classes when I teach them!

  • Mathematics for the Industry Help Harrisonburg City Fire Department and Department of Public Transportation make optimal use of the their data.
  • Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence It will be intelligent, you will be intelligent. You can brag that you took this course with an O'Reilly Media author 😉.
  • Hacking for Diplomacy, National Security, and Defense Serve your country solving real world problems from the US military.
  • Computers and Numerical Algorithms (Math 248) My favorite class to teach, it plunges you straight into python, data, and mathematical modeling and computation.



    Snapchat's doll version of Sary and me



    Important links

  • Math REU at JMU site
  • College of Science and Mathematics at JMU: CSM website. College Council
  • Faculty Senate at JMU: JMU's Faculty Senate
  • Women In Math of Materials Network WIMM

  • Live Interviews! AI, Data, Mathematical Modeling


    Mar 2024 Interview Interview with Hymaïa at Data Nights Talk Show, Paris, France
    Feb 2024 Interview Interview with Joaquin Melara on SWARM community’s the AI Digest podcast (to be released May 2024)
    Nov 2023 Interview with Ron Itelman, CEO of Intelligence.AI and author of Unifying Business, Data, and Code on his Thinking in Networks podcast
    Sept 2023 Interview with Ole-Olesen-Bagneux, author of The Enterprise Data Catalogue on his The Data Democracy podcast
    Aug 2023 Interview with Joe Reis and Matthew Housley, best selling authors of Fundamentals of Data Engineering on Monday Morning Data Chat podcast
    Aug 2023 Interview with Thomas Bustos on Let's Talk AI podcast
    March 2023 Interview with Andy Petrella founder of Kensu and author of Foundations of Data Observability on ZooThor
    March 2023 Interview with Harpreet Sahota on The Artists of Data Science podcast
    May 2020 Interview with Matthew LaPlante on Utah Public Radio’s UnDisciplined

    I wrote a book Essential Math for AI (O'Reilly Media 2023)

    I am now writing a new book: Foundations of AI, Data, and Information







    Webpage for Mathematics of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning click here


    Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Seminar Series click here


    Do only what you want to do, and nothing else


    Contact Information
    Department of Mathematics and Statistics
    305 Roop Hall MSC 1911
    James Madison University
    Harrisonburg, VA 22807


    Office location: 320 Roop Hall
    Email: nelsonhy-at-jmu-dot-edu
    Office Phone: (540) 568-6968

    Gibran.. On Children and On Love

    JMU Fight Song


    Publications and Preprints


    Online notes for some courses

    Theory of Probability (Math UA233- summer course at NYU)
    Optimization
    Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence
    Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
    Linear Algebra
    Partial Differential Equations
    Real Analysis
    Computers and Numerical Algorithms
    Analysis and Dynamics of Differential Equations (Math 441)
    Differential Equations (Math 336)
    Games of Chance
    Complex Variables (Math 360)
    Calculus III
    Calculus II (Math 236).
    Calculus I (Math 235).

    Undergraduate Research Students

    Summer 2022 REU students: Anna White, Miranda Bihler, Erin Okey, Noe Reyes.
    Summer 2018 REU students: Patricia Puente, Sean Deyo, Kevin Tully, Shawtaroh Granzier-Nakajima.
    Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 CURM sponsored students: Molly Rowland, Ben Dulaney, Dylanna Wilhelm, Michael Boyle, Channing Parker, Jenny Frank. Photo1. Photo2. Photo3.
    Summer 2014 internal REU students: Robert Staniunas and Zev Woodstock.
    Summer 2011: UMich-Ann Arbor REU student: Mark Liu.