About Me
I grew up in the Mid-Hudson Valley, two hours upstate from New York City. I attended Bard College on the banks of the Hudson River and moved to Minneapolis, MN for graduate school in 2013. In 2019 I earned my PhD in Mathematics and began an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA. In 2022, I moved back to Minnesota to work at Hamline University in Saint Paul. This page describes my passions, current and past.
Camping, Hiking, Canoeing
I love getting outside. While living in California, I explored nearby deserts, rivers, and mountains. I visited the Channel Islands, the Sierras, Mojave, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, the Colorado River, and some mountain hot springs outside Ojai, CA. I am so fortunate to take advantage of these natural blessings!
My dog Riley and some sand ripple patterns at sunset, Mojave Desert 2020.
In Minnesota, my outdoor interests revolve around the beautiful lakes and waterways. I love to canoe and fish anywhere from local city lakes to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness. I've camped at state parks throughout MN, rock climbed on the North Shore of Lake Superior, and canoed down rivers in western Wisconsin. I make an annual pilgrimage up to the BWCA.
Tell me about your adventures; I'll gladly swap tales.
Riley in the canoe, Lake One 2018
Me refilling the camp water at sunset, Lake Malberg 2017
SCOTUS declined to rule on Wisconsin's state assembly map, June 2018.
Image from: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ltsb/gis/maps/
Math and Democracy
My interest in the redistricting problem was inspired by work and publicity from the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group (MGGG). In October 2017, I attended their conference in Madison, WI and participated in the Educator Workshop, designed to advance teaching about Gerrymandering and pass on resources to educators. In 2018, I continued to explore related literature through a guided reading project with an undergraduate student at UMN. The next summer he worked at the Voting Rights Data Institute, MGGG's summer research program. I also recommend Don Saari's Chaotic Elections! as a unique look at the basics of more general voting theory.
These mathematical issues of democracy fit into my personal belief that systemically oppressed groups must be better represented through the democratic process. Gerrymandering is one of the most effective (legal) tools presently used to silence the will of Americans, especially Latinx and African Americans.
In Minnesota I was involved in local politics; volunteering for campaigns and serving as a delegate in the primary caucuses.
Me just missing a great block at Regionals, Wisconsin 2017
Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate has been a community, a competitive outlet, a place I served as a mentor, and a great workout. I started playing Ultimate in high school. I played for four years and captained the team at Bard College as an undergraduate. I played with the University of Minnesota's Grey Duck for my last college season. I coached Mounds View High School for two years and UMN's B-Team Ugly Duckling for three years. I played mixed-gender Club Ultimate with Minnesota Star Power for five years and captained the team in 2017.