I earned a bachelor of science in mathematics and computer science from the University of Tennessee in 2004. In the May of 2011, I earned a PhD in mathematics from the University of Virginia under the direction of Dr. Greg Arone. I am an algebraic topologist, and my research area is the calculus of functors. My dissertation classifies polynomial functors with some mild and appropriate finiteness conditions. I am a Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Mary Baldwin and I look forward to working with the diverse student body. Outside of the classroom, I am an avid hiker and backpacker. I recently picked up photography as a hobby.
I hold a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from Columbus State University in Georgia, and am currently working on my dissertation for an Ed.D. in mathematics pedagogy from Montclair State University in New Jersey. I have been teaching at both the high school and college levels since 1996, and am particularly interested in issues surrounding the transition from school to college mathematics. Other research interests include distance learning, technology in mathematics education, and applied mathematics including statistics and operations research. I am very active in professional organizations, serving as an editor for Mathematics Teacher, published by NCTM, and as a member of the Committee on Graduate Students for the Mathematical Association of America. In my spare time, I love to read and have been active in community groups including arts organizations and Girl Scouting for most of my adult life.
I hold a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in mathematics from Virginia Tech, and a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Virginia. I am technically trained in the area of Functional Analytic Methods in Partial Differential Equations. At present my interests have expanded to include the Modeling of HIV Dynamics. I spend a lot of time mentoring women who are interested in graduate school in mathematics or who are going to graduate school in a discipline where mathematics is an indispensable tool. Other important facets in my life are family, friends, Tai Chi, serious travel, and the advancement of LGBTQ issues. Personal philosophy: "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
