Teaching

This semester (Fall 2024), I am teaching Math 1100 and Math 1108. Below you find a list of courses I have previously taught, as well as descriptions of undergraduate research projects and outreach activities in which I have taken part.


Fordham University

Instructor of Record

University of South Carolina

Instructor of Record

University of Georgia

Instructor of Record
Recitation Instructor
Grader

Undergraduate Research

Flipped-learning in middle schools. From Spring 2017 to Spring 2018, I advised Danielle Wood, an undergraduate at the University of South Carolina, on a project focused on implementing flipped-classroom instruction in middle schools. She was awarded a Magellan Explorer grant for this project. Our first goal was to create and maintain a website with information and data about flipped learning together with resources and tools that can be utilized by middle-school educators to quickly and easily implement this alternative approach to instruction. Our long-term goal is to begin implementing this instructional method in Richland County schools and measure its effect on students, especially in regards to their perception of mathematical thinking as a practical life skill. Danielle presented her work at Discover USC 2018, a showcase for scholarship, leadership, and creative projects by University of South Carolina undergraduates, postdoctoral scholars, and medical scholars. She received an Honorable Mention for her efforts.

Abstract algebra and music. During Fall 2018, I ran a reading course on abstract algebra and applications to music for Danielle Wood. We covered the basics of group theory including modular arithmetic, cyclic groups, dihedral and symmetric groups, subgroups, group actions, and a bit on quotient groups. She then used this background to study the ways in which dihedral groups act on the set of major and minor triads, following the article "Musical actions of dihedral groups" by Alissa Crans, Thomas M. Fiore, and Ramon Satyendra.

Outreach

Math Gym at MoMath

Math Gym is a free (currently online) program organized by the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York City. Participants spend about an hour working on engaging math problems with the guidance and mentorship of a mathematician or math student. I began hosting these sessions in May 2020, and look forward to continuing my hosting duties into the future. Some of my Fordham students also get involved in helping out, so if you're one of my students, let me know if you're interested! Check out other MoMath events here.


New Beginnings Life Skills Program

From Fall 2018 to Summer 2019, I volunteered with the New Beginnings Life Skills Program through the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. New Beginnings is a training program for teens who are 90 days from meeting with the parole board. Participants are recommended by their social workers who feel they would benefit from additional support, and receive certificates of completion for each class they complete. These certificates may then be presented to the board to show potential for a successful life upon release. Volunteers act as positive role models while supporting youth as they develop skills needed to be successful in life. Volunteers provide encouragement and guidance to teens while taking part in fun and interactive courses. The program consists of a ten-week rotation of courses designed to prepare participants for life and decision-making "beyond the fence." Course topics include life-planning, financial literacy, couponing and cooking, affordable housing, and employment.


UGA MathCamp

Website
During my time at the University of Georgia, Angela Gibney and Danny Krashen organized week-long summer math camps for middle and high school students in the Athens area. These students participated in exploratory projects with mathematics faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. Topics have included graph theory, elementary number theory, cryptography, epidemiology, and algebraic topology. I had the opportunity to participate as a graduate helper in two of these groups.

Braids
In June, 2016, I worked with Ester Dalvit and Justin Johnson having students explore the action of the braid group on the fundamental group of the (thrice) punctured disk. The students were first presented with the challenge of putting a closed rope around the strands at the top of a braid so that it would have a specific shape when it falls to the bottom. They were able to solve this problem by using metal braids and strands of yarn to explicitly determine the group action.

Cryptography and Cryptology
In July, 2014, I worked with Joe Vandehey and Juan Vargas in teaching our students about cryptography and cryptology, ultimately having them understand the RSA cryptosystem. We began by introducing substitution ciphers, including Caesar and pigpen ciphers. We then covered the basics on divisibility and modular arithmetic in order to explain the Diffie-Hellman algorithm for sharing information. This naturally led to an explanation of RSA and other public key cryptosystems.


Project REFOCUS

During Fall 2015 and Spring 2016, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School in Athens, GA through the Project REFOCUS 21st Century Skills Program. The purpose of this program is to emphasize interest and aptitude in STEM fields by bringing faculty and graduate students in STEM disciplines into the classroom. I had the pleasure of working with various groups of students over a full academic year, helping them prepare for the Future Cities competition, science olympiad, quiz bowl, and video game coding.