Projects

  • A book on discrete and computational geometry written for mathematics undergrads, coauthored with Joseph O'Rourke. This will appear in 2010, published by Princeton University Press.

  • A 36-lecture DVD course on the geometry and topology of nature, aimed at the general public. This will appear in 2010, published by The Teaching Company.

Honors

  • The North Central College Young Alumni Award in 2008, given to those who have excellenced in their careers and have demonstrated service to the community and to North Central College.

  • The Henry L Alder National Teaching Award in 2007 from the Mathematics Association of America to honor beginning college or university faculty whose teaching has been extra ordinarily successful and whose effectiveness in teaching undergraduate mathematics is shown to have influence beyond their own classrooms.

Teaching

  • My thesis students have included Rahul Shah (Williams College, 2009), Ezra Winston (Bard College, 2009), Trubee Davison (Williams College, 2008), Katie Baldiga (Williams College, 2007), Colin Carroll (Williams College, 2007), Tomio Ueda (Williams College, 2006), John Mugno (Williams College, 2005), Eric Engler (Williams College, 2004), Jake Tawney (Ohio State, 2001).

  • I have designed and taught courses on Computational Geometry, Geometric Modeling (cross-listed with Studio Art), Geometric Group theory, the Mural (cross-listed with Studio Art), Low-dimensional Topology, Lessons in Go (cross-listed with Asian Studies), and Riemannian Geometry.

Activities

  • Organizer of "Reclaiming da Vinci: Art Math Symposium" at the Williams College Museum of Art in Spring 2009, a two-day event featuring international speakers Robert Lang (origami), Ed Burger (math), and Alyson Shotz (art). This event was a sequel to the "Math Art Labratory" at A.P.E. Studios in Northampton in Fall 2008.

  • Faculty advisor for the SMALL REU program for Configuration Spaces (2003), Computational Cartography (2004), Particle Collisions (2007), and Discrete Geometry (2008).

  • Journal referee for Inventiones, Advances in Mathematics, International Mathematics Research Notices, Documenta Mathematica, Topology and its Applications, American Math Monthly, Homology, Homotopy and Applications, and SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics.