Research

As a researcher, my work falls into a few different areas:

• My algebraic topology work focuses on (topological) (co)Hochschild homology computations and connections to algebraic K-theory. 

• My math education work focuses on connecting student learning to other disciplines, supporting underrepresented groups in STEM, and student understanding of proof.

In both my service and scholarship grant work, I am passionate about the following:

• providing undergraduate students opportunities to engage in mathematical research

• supporting underrepresented groups in STEM

• valuing and promoting inclusive teaching

Topological (co)Hochschild Homology

My dissertation work centered around an invariant called topological coHochschild homology (coTHH), which is constructed analogously to topological Hochschild homology (THH) but allows us to study coalgebra spectra. The diagram below gives an intuitive picture of the relationship between these tools for those who are familiar with homotopy theory. 

More specifically, I developed the relative coBökstedt spectral sequence in order to compute the homotopy groups of coTHH of coalgebras over any commutative ring spectrum and then examined particular calculations. 

See my paper Computations of relative topological coHochschild homology, available at arXiv:2108.07863 for more details.

(Topological) coHochschild Homology Shadows

As a part of my dissertation work, I studied coHochschild homology as a bicategorical shadow, in the sense of Ponto. In collaboration with Maximilien Péroux, we extended this work to the setting of topological coHochschild homology. See our paper Trace methods for coHochschild homology, available at arXiv:2301.11346 for more details.

THH and the Loday Construction

I am a member of a Women in Topology research group studying the Loday construction and higher topological Hochschild homology.  My collaborators are:

• Ayelet Lindenstrauss, Indiana University

• Birgit Richter, University of Hamburg

• Alice Hedenlund, University of Oslo

• Foling Zou, University of Chicago

Our paper, Loday constructions on twisted products and on tori, is available at arXiv:2002.00715.

Dold-Kan Correspondence for Abelian Inverse Semigroups

In a collaboration with Ranthony Edmonds, Sanjeevi Krishnan, and Emily Rudman, we are developing a Dold-Kan theorem for simplicial abelian inverse semigroups.  

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

• Graphic Novels in STEM

  • Together with Bill Boerman-Cornell, Josha Ho, and Dave Klanderman, we examine graphic novels in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to supplement learning in the classroom and engage students more broadly. Our book can be found on Bloomsbury's website!

• Teaching practices advocating against gender bias and combatting imposter syndrome

  • Reshma Menon and I wrote an essay for Teaching Gradually: Practical Pedagogy for Graduate Students, by Graduate Students about practices that can help overcome imposter syndrome in teaching.

• Student Understanding of Proof

  • Building on the mentored teaching project from my Certification in College Teaching, Rani Satyam and I interviewed students about the transition from calculus to proof-based courses and the ways in which students view math as a result.

• Math Motivations

  • In a collaboration with Patrick Eggleton, Ben Gliesmann, Dave Klanderman, and Josh Wilkerson, we surveyed 645 students from middle schools, high schools, and universities in order to analyze factors that motivate students to study mathematics.

• Engaging students in math through interest in young adult literature

  • In collaborations with Bill Boerman-Cornell, Dave Klanderman, and Lexi Schut we explored connecting ideas from math (and topology in particular) to analogies in young adult literature in order to pique student interest.

Conference and Seminar Talks

• Math in Action Conference (February 2024)

  • Using Graphic Novels in the Middle and High School Mathematics Classroom, invited as a co-presenter at the Math in Action conference at Grand Valley State University

• Calvin University (February 2024)

  • Teaching STEM Disciplines with Graphic Novels, invited as a co-presenter in the Mathematics Colloquium / Education Forum

• Trinity University (January 2024)

  • An Introduction to Algebraic Topology and Its Applications, invited as a presenter in the Mathematics Department Majors' Seminar

• Marian University (November 2023)

  • Using Graphic Novels to Teach STEM Disciplines, invited as a presenter in the STEHM Education Scholarly Learning Community

• Christian Educators Association Convention (October 2023)

  • Using Graphic Novels to Reach Disciplinary Goals in STEM classes, invited as a co-presenter at the CEA Convention

• Dordt University (April 2023)

  • Catalan Number Sequences and Action Graphs, invited to speak in the Mathematics Colloquium

• Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (April 2023)

  • A Gentle Intro to Algebraic Topology and Its Applications, invited as the speaker for the ACCA lectures

• Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (April 2023)

  • Catalan Number Sequences and Action Graphs, invited as the speaker for the ACCA lectures

• Valparaiso University (September 2022)

  • Topology and its Applications, invited to speak in the Mathematics Colloquium

• ACMS Conference (June 2022)              

  • Surviving a pandemic using alternative assessments, one of three co-presenters at Azusa Pacific University

• ACMS Conference (June 2022)              

  • Using graphic novels in the teaching and learning of mathematics and physics, one of three co-presenters at Azusa Pacific University

• Joint Math Meetings (April 2022)            

  • Loday constructions on twisted products and on tori, invited to speak in the AWM Special Session on Women in Topology

• Calvin University (March 2022)

  • Factors that Motivate Students to Learn Mathematics, invited as a co-presenter in the Mathematics Colloquium / Education Forum

• Math in Action Conference (February 2022)

  • Graphic Novels: A teaching strategy for middle and high school mathematics, invited as a co-presenter at the Math in Action conference at Grand Valley State University

• Indiana Section Meeting of the Mathematical Association of America (September 2021)            

  • Factors that motivate students to learn mathematics, presented in the Contributed Talks

• International Christian Community for Teacher Education Conference (May 2021)

  • Graphic Novels and Teaching STEM: Science and Art and Understanding the Creation, invited to speak at the ICCTE Conference

• University of Pennsylvania (April 2021)

  • Calculations in Topological CoHochschild Homology, invited to speak in the Geometry-Topology Seminar

• Michigan State University (March 2021)

  • Mastery-Based Grading in Calculus, invited to speak in the Conversations Among Colleagues Seminar

• École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (December 2020)

  • Topological CoHochschild Homology Calculations, invited to speak in the Topology Seminar

• University of Kentucky / Vanderbilt (November 2020)

  • Computational Structure of Topological CoHochschild Homology, invited to speak in the Topology Seminar

• Indiana University (October 2020)

  • Computations in Topological CoHochschild Homology, invited to speak in the Homotopy Theory Seminar

• Society for Classical Learning Conference (June 2020)

  • Transitioning Group-based Learning Online, invited to speak in the Rapid Fire Roundtable on "Cultivating Mathematical Communities"

• Joint Math Meetings (January 2020)            

  • Expanding Tools for Topological CoHochschild Homology, invited to speak in the Special Session on Categorical and Computational Methods in Homotopy Theory

• University of California, Los Angeles (November 2019)

  • Computations in Topological CoHochschild Homology, invited to speak in the Algebraic Topology Seminar

• Geometry & Topology Student Seminar at MSU (November 2019)         

  • Computations in Topological CoHochschild Homology, presented in the weekly seminar at Michigan State University

• Christian Educators Association Convention (October 2019)

  • Miss Smith, My Future Career and My Mom: Factors that Motivate Students to Learn Mathematics, invited to speak at the CEA Convention

• Calvin University (October 2019)

  • Motivations to Learn Mathematics, invited to speak as a co-presenter in the math colloquium series

• Redeemer University College (October 2019)

  • Topology and its Applications, invited to speak in a Modern Geometry lecture

• AMS Fall Central Sectional Meeting (September 2019)       

  • Topological CoHochschild Homology Computations, invited to speak at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Special Session on Homotopy Theory

• MAA MathFest (August 2019)

  • Tools for Studying Topological CoHochschild Homology, presented in the Great Talks for a General Audience: Coached Presentations by Graduate Students session

• Young Topologists Meeting (July 2019)            

  • Computations in Topological CoHochschild Homology, presented at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

• ACMS Conference (May 2019)              

  • Computations in Topological CoHochschild Homology, presented at Indiana Wesleyan University

• ACMS Conference (May 2019)         

  • Factors that Motivate Students to Learn Mathematics, one of five co-presenters at Indiana Wesleyan University

• Graduate Student Topology & Geometry Conference (March 2019)             

  • Computations in Topological CoHochschild Homology, presented at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Calvin University (March 2019)          

  • Tools for Studying Topological CoHochschild Homology, invited to speak in the math colloquium series

• Math in Action (February 2019)              

  • Why Learn Math: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors that Motivate Students, invited as a co-presenter at the Math in Action conference at Grand Valley State University

• Undergraduate Research Group at MSU (January 2019)             

  • (co)Hochschild Homology, presented at Michigan State University for the undergraduate student researchers working in algebraic topology during the spring of 2019

• Calvin University (November 2018)             

  • Harry Potter and Higher Dimensions, co-presenter in the math colloquium series

• European Talbot (July 2018)           

  • Hochschild (co)homology basics and Operations in Hochschild (co)homology, presented at the European Talbot Conference in Fischbach bei Dahn, Germany

• Geometry & Topology Student Seminar at MSU (April 2018)         

  • Understanding Topological Hochschild Homology, presented in the weekly seminar at Michigan State University

• Algebraic K-theory Seminar at MSU (March 2018)             

  • Quillen's Q-construction, presented in the weekly seminar at Michigan State University

• Algebraic K-theory Seminar at MSU (February 2018)         

  • Topological Foundations and Classifying Spaces, presented in the weekly seminar at Michigan State University

• ACMS Conference (June 2017)              

  • The Topology of Harry Potter: Exploring Higher Dimensions in Young Adult Fantasy Literature, co-presenter at Charleston Southern University

• Math Teachers' Circle (May 2017)      

  • A focus on Strategies, Collaboration, and Explanation of Solutions, invited as a co-presenter at Lewis University as a part of the Math Teachers' Circle in Southwest Chicago

• Calvin University (December 2016)           

  • Topological Data Analysis of Rat Brains, invited to speak in the math colloquium series

• MAA MathFest (August 2016)              

  • Reading, (W)Riting, Reflecting, and Reviewing: The Four "R's" of Formative Assessment in Mathematics, co-presenter in the Formative Assessment Techniques for Undergraduate Math Courses session