I am a mathematician. I enjoy learning about different topics and collaborating with others, in my research area of number theory and beyond. I also enjoy engaging with broader audiences, including through museums and improv(isational theater).
What will students be able to take away from your classes?
My Math and the Creative Process course immerses students in creative problem-solving, with an emphasis on developing skills to explore and communicate about mathematics. Through collaborative projects, students learn to make conjectures, formulate interesting questions, and discover patterns. The course culminates with publicly exhibited projects like this example. Students can expect to be pushed out of their comfort zones and approach mathematics in new ways. They should be prepared to participate in interactive exercises (e.g. adapted from the arts, including improvisational theater exercises for developing communication, observation, and collaboration skills). This class is highly participatory.
What are your responsibilities at the Keller Center?
I am teaching an undergraduate course, Math and the Creative Process, that is adapted from a course I created at the University of Oregon. This highly interactive course employs approaches from the arts to introduce students to aspects of creative problem solving early in their education. I also will lead workshops for faculty and graduate student instructors, which introduce approaches from improv(isational theater) for increasing engagement and building community in undergraduate classes and beyond.
What attracted you to the Keller Center?
The Keller Center's connections with the broader campus community and its enthusiasm for interdisciplinary approaches make it ideally positioned to host my Math and the Creative Process course and the workshops I will lead. These activities help bridge liberal arts and engineering, which is a focus of the Keller Center. The Keller Center also offers courses to students pursuing a wide variety of majors, and my course is designed to be accessible and appealing to students with diverse interests and backgrounds.