Teaching

My teaching comes from the heart and a desire to see other minds excited and delighted by the beauty, elegance, and utility of mathematics. As an applied mathematician I am keenly aware of many students wanting to see math “in action” and being used for real-world applications. Thus, I try to incorporate as many physical, biological, and social examples as is practical in a course. However, much of mathematics is wondrous in its own right, and therefore I also endeavor to help students see this beauty and elegance in mathematics.

I am very interested in issues surrounding Mathematics Education and am always trying to improve and refine my own approach to teaching. I routinely seek feedback from my students and from my peers. Additionally, I regularly attend the Southeastern Sectional Mathematics Association of America (MAA) yearly meeting to learn what methods other mathematics instructors are employing in their classrooms. These meetings are a wonderful venue for undergraduate students to meet other young mathematicians in the southeast region, to showcase their research, and to learn about different graduate school opportunities. Any student interested in attending one of these conferences should let me know as I would be more than happy to help make arrangements for Rhodes students to attend. Additionally, I am Project NExT Fellow (sponsored through the MAA), which is providing me with the opportunity to discuss and share teaching pedagogy with other junior mathematics faculty from around the country.

Courses I have taught include: a Mathematics for the Life Sciences sequence which covered topics including  statistics, probability, matrix algebra, calculus and some differential equations; a Mathematical Reasoning course which covered topics including number theory, concepts about infinity, geometry, fractals, probability, statistics, and decision theory; an Introduction to Programming for Math Majors course in which the students learned how to write code in Matlab, LaTeX (a text formatting language for the sciences), and HTML.

Though new to Rhodes, I hope to develop both introductory and higher level mathematical biology courses to serve the interests and needs of the many students interested in the life sciences. Additionally, I look forward to teaching the standard calculus sequence (Math 121-122), differential equations, and elementary probability and statistics (Math 111).

 

Research

My interest in environmental issues and the biological sciences led me to pursue mathematical biology/ecology which allows me to explore biological phenomenon through a mathematical lens. My biological interests include many areas of population dynamics.  I have worked on several models for the spread of various infectious diseases (HIV, HSV, and MRSA) through populations. Many of the papers resulting from this research emphasized methods for evaluating complex model responses as affected by large numbers of parameters.  My current research utilizes modeling and optimal control theory applied to differential equations and discrete difference equations to develop optimal management strategies for conserving/preserving dynamic ecological systems. Optimal control theory is a mathematical theory that determines that best or optimal strategy given competing objectives and various constraints. For example, when and how many people in a population should be vaccinated such that the number of infections averted is maximized, but the number of vaccines given (and thus the cost) is minimized.  Optimal control theory has been used in a wide variety of applications.

I am eager to develop modeling and optimal control problems as undergraduate research projects. There are many problems of both ecological and public health interest which would make for compelling undergraduate research.  Any students interested in the mathematical modeling of biological applications should feel free to stop by my office or send me an email.

 

Outside the Classroom

I was born and raised in Southern California. Specially, I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, which technically makes me a “valley girl,” but most people tell me they would never have guessed. I completed my undergraduate education at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, graduating with a BS in Mathematics and a BA in Anthropology. I worked as a research assistant at UCLA for two years modeling the spread of infectious diseases before continuing on to graduate school at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I graduated with my PhD in Mathematics (concentration in Mathematical Ecology) in 2010, and then moved across the state to Memphis to join the faculty at Rhodes.  Since moving to Tennessee, I have grown quite fond of the South, despite the humidity.

My husband and I live in the Chickasaw Gardens area approximately 3 miles from Rhodes campus. When I am not lesson planning, doing research, or grading papers, I enjoy cooking with my husband, knitting, and photography. We have four cats which provide us with no end of amusement with their hijinks and shenanigans.  In October 2010, my husband and I will become new parents with all the excitement and fatigue that comes with it.