Math Newsletter: Spring 2023

The semiannual Bryn Mawr Math Newsletter includes recent departmental news and photographs.

Top Stories

Bryn Mawr Students Support Philadelphia Schools

Bryn Mawr math and science majors who want to provide academic support to Philadelphia high school students while finding out what it is like to teach have a new opportunity – the Philadelphia Regional Teaching Experience for Undergraduates (TEU) Summer Program. Read more.

Bi-Co Students Participate in Philly Area Math Conference

The Philadelphia Undergraduate Mathematics Conference Series is a collaborative effort of the Mathematics Departments at Bryn Mawr College, La Salle University, Rutgers University – Camden, and Temple University.  Our goal is to provide professional opportunities and research exposure to undergraduate students from the Philadelphia area interested in mathematics. Read more.

Senior Profiles

Katherine Clemens

Avalon Vanis

Veronica Wang

Faculty Publications

Erica Graham on Endocrine Dynamics

Paul Melvin on Equivariant Hyperbolization of 3-manifolds via Homology Cobordisms

Djordje Milićević on the Spherical Sup-norm Problem

Faculty News in Brief

Over the past year, there were a wide range of faculty milestones including arrivals, departures, and celebrations of professional milestones. 

As part of our spring info session, the department celebrated the achievements of two of our faculty. Djordje Milicevic was promoted from associate professor to full professor, and Erica Graham was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor with tenure. Graham also won the Association for Women in Mathematics’ 2022 AWM Presidential Recognition Award for her work as a founder of the Mathematically Gifted and Black (MGB) website.

In spring 2022, we said goodbye to Assistant Professor John Bergdall who left Bryn Mawr to take up dual positions, along with his wife Katherine Raoux, at the University of Arkansas. Katherine had been a visiting faculty member at Bryn Mawr during the Fall 2019 semester. We wish John and Katherine all the best in their new positions.

As a result of John’s departure, the department undertook a national search in fall of 2022 to fill the open position. We searched for candidates with expertise in the area of algebra, broadly construed. We received over 150 applications for the position, and after bringing three finalists to campus, we were thrilled to be able to hire our top choice: Selvi Kara. In addition to her  research in commutative algebras, Selvi is a co-founder of Meet a Mathematician, a collection of short video interviews with mathematicians. She will start at Bryn Mawr in fall 2023.

Undertaking a national search is a huge amount of work, and we want to give a special shout-out of thanks to the student representatives on the search committee: undergraduates Jo Amuso A.B./M.A. '24 and Alishia Nation '23 and graduate student Dalena Vien. Their representation of student views provided the committee with a valuable perspective.

At the end of year celebration, we also said goodbye to Visiting Assistant Professor Ziva Myer who had been a faculty member in the department since the fall of 2021. Ziva’s students made a beautiful, mega-sized thank card for her in appreciation for her engaging teaching and the support and encouragement she had given them. Ziva was a graduate student at Bryn Mawr, receiving her Ph.D. in symplectic topology in 2017 under the direction of Professor Lisa Traynor. It was wonderful having Ziva back with us as a faculty member.

After the semester ended, our new hire, Selvi Kara, visited Philadelphia for several days during which she met with students and faculty.

Student News in Brief

Established in 2018, the Community Building Honor Roll honors students who have made important contributions to creating a sense of belonging, inclusiveness, and community on campus. The following math majors were on the 2023 Community Building Honor Roll: Lisa Adanye '23, Jo Amuso '24, Catherine Fu '23, Li Gordon-Washington '23, Tova Just '23, Alishia Nation '23, Patriciah Ogombe '24, Lola Rodrigues '23, Katelyn Schlefke '23, Hayat Shibeshi '23, Chloe Shupe '24, Abhirami Suresh '24, Rosalie Tarsala '23, Veronica Wang '23, and Beza Wondwossen '23. Math graduate students Dalena Vien and Savannah Williams also received this honor.

Mathematics and physics double major Riley Alexander '23 made the 2023 Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. Riley was also recognized as a Four-Year Participant in Athletics at the 2023 Athletics Awards Banquet. She was a member of the Bryn Mawr Lacrosse Team.

Math major and health studies minor Ellie Schumacher '24, a member of the Bryn Mawr Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Team, made the 2023 Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.   

Mathematics and psychology double major Catherine Fu '23 won Badminton’s Feathers Award.

Mathematics and computer science double major Tova Just '23 made the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference Academic Honor Roll. Tova was also recognized as a Four-Year Participant in Athletics at the 2023 Athletics Awards Banquet.

Mathematics major Sarah Lohrey '24 won Bryn Mawr Soccer’s Neal Abraham MVP Award. Sarah also made the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Mathematics major Kris Pasia '25, a member of the Bryn Mawr basketball team, made the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Mathematics major Felicia Pursner '25, a member of Bryn Mawr’s Swimming Team and a 2022-2023 CSCAA (College Swimming Coaches Association of America) All-American Team Member, made the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Two senior math majors Rosalie Tarsala '23 and Veronica Wang '23 were awarded the Anna Pell Wheeler Prize in Mathematics. Rosalie wrote an honors thesis on "Modeling Diabetes Using Symbolic Regression Techniques," while Veronica wrote an honors thesis on "Mathematics of Hedging."

A.B./M.A. student Avalon Vanis '23 was awarded the Charlotte Angas Scott Prize in Mathematics. Avalon successfully defended their A.B./M.A. thesis "On Slice Obstructions for Unknotting Number One Knots" on May 3, 2023.

Math major Alishia Nation '23 was awarded the Mary Louise Cookson Prize in Mathematics in recognition of her exceptional service that has contributed to the life of the department. This prize was established in 2007 in honor of Mary Louise Cookson's extraordinary contributions to mathematics at Bryn Mawr College.

Bryn Mawr math major and Haverford economics major Nathan McGinty '23 was awarded The Holland Hunter 1943 Economics Department Thesis Prize at Haverford College. This prize is awarded to the senior whose thesis displays the most outstanding empirical and/or theoretical applications of economics.

Bryn Mawr math major and Haverford economics major Rishabh Golchha '23 was awarded The Michael M. Weinstein Prize in Economics at Haverford College.