Andrea Young

Education

B.S.in Mathematics, Pennsylvania State University
Ph.D. in Mathematics, The University of Texas at Austin

Current Courses Taught

MTH 130 Mathematical Thinking and Writing
MTH 175 The Shape of the Universe
MTH 201 Calculus I
MTH 246 Mathematical Modeling
MTH 343 Differential Equations
MTH/CS 501 Senior Seminar

Awards and Honors

VIGRE postdoctoral fellowship, University of Arizona, 2008-2011
Deputy Director of 2010 Arizona Summer Program
Service and Teaching Award, University of Arizona, 2010
Project NExT fellow, 2011-2012

Recent Publications and Presentations

Research Articles

“Ricci Yang-Mills Solitons on Nilpotent Lie Groups” with Michael Jablonski (Journal of Lie Theory, Vol. 23, 177-202, 2012.)
“Regge’s Einstein-Hilbert Functional on the Double Tetrahedron” with Daniel Champion and David Glickenstein (Diff. Geom. Apps., Vol. 29, Issue 1, 2011.)
“The Cross Curvature Flow on a Negatively Curved Solid Torus” with Dan Knopf and Jason Deblois (Algebr. Geom. Topol. 10, 2010.)
“Stability of the Ricci Yang-Mills flow at Einstein Yang-Mills metrics” (Comm. Anal. Geom. Vol 18, No. 1, 77-100, 2010.)
“Asymptotic Stability of the Cross Curvature Flow at a Hyperbolic Metric” with Dan Knopf (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 137 (2009), 699-709)
“Modified Ricci Flow on a Principal Bundle” – Ph.D. thesis
“Constant Scalar Curvature Metrics on Boundary Complexes of Cyclic Polytopes” with Daniel Champion, Andrew Marchese*, and Jacob Miller* (submitted) * denotes undergraduate coauthor

Pedagogical Articles

Improvisation in the Mathematics Classroom (To Appear in PRIMUS: Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies)

Areas of Interest

Geometric flows
Riemannian geometry
Discrete differential geometry
Using improvisational comedy techniques in the classroom

Resources for Improv in the Math Classroom

Below are the notes for two Math and Improv presentations that I have been developing during my time as a faculty member. I have given these presentations to a variety of math educators, and I am always willing to modify them to address your group’s needs.

The first presentation, “Improv in the Mathematics Classroom”, demonstrates how some of the most fundamental tenets of improv can be applied to creating an open and engaging mathematics classroom. The second presentation, “Improv for the Mathematics Instructor,” deals with how improv can be used by math instructors to improve their own “performance”.

“Improv in the Mathematics Classroom”
“Improv for the Mathematics Instructor”
Slides from “Improv in the Math Classroom” my keynote address for the Arizona Center for STEM Teachers at the Biosphere 2 on October 23, 2010.

Improv and Teaching Resources (books)

Gwinn, P. Group Improvisation: the manual of ensemble improv games
Johnstone, K. Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre
Spolin, V. Improvisation for the Theater
Tauber, R. Acting Lessons for Teachers: Using Performance Skills in the Classroom
Timpson, W. Teaching and Performing: Ideas for energizing your classes

Improv and Teaching Resources (websites)

The new improv page
Article about CERN physicists using improv to improve communication skills