Heather M. Russell - Usc - University of Southern California

U S C D E P A R T M E N T O F M A T H E M A T I C S • 3 6 2 0 S. V E R M O N T A V E , K A P 1 0 8 • L O S A N G E L E S , C A 9 0 0 8 9 - 2 5 3 2
E - M A I L: H E A T H E M R @ U S C . E D U • W E B: H T T P : // W W W - B C F . U S C . E D U/ ∼ H E A T H E M R
Education
H e a t h e r M. R u s s e l l
2003-2009 University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Ph.D. Mathematics
Advisors: Charles Frohman, Julianna S. Tymoczko
Comprehensive exams completed August 2006
Thesis: Springer varieties from a topological perspective
1999-2003 Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland.
BA in Mathematics and Computer Science, Summa Cum Laude, Departmental Honors
Thesis: Quadratic sieve factoring algorithm
Employment
July 2011 - Present
Spring 2010
August 2009 - July 2011
Fall 2003-Summer 2009
Fall 2007 - Summer 2008
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor
(Postdoctoral research position)
MSRI, Berkeley, California.
Research Membership
Program in Homology Theories of Knots and Links
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
VIGRE Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
VIGRE Graduate Fellow
Spring 2006 University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa .
Graduate Research Assistant working with Jonathan Simon.
Research Interests
Geometric topology, Knot Invariants, Categorification, Diagrammatic algebra, Contact topology,
Combinatorics, Connections to algebraic geometry and representation theory.
AMS MSC: 57,14 (Primary), 05, 55 (Secondary).
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Publications
• The Bar-Natan skein module of the solid torus and the homology of (n, n) Springer varieties, Geom
Dedicata 142: 71-89, 2009, arXiv:0805.0286v1.
• Springer varieties from a topological perspective, Thesis (Ph.D.) The University of Iowa. 2009. 86
pp. ISBN: 978-1109-45743-8 ProQuest LLC, Thesis.
• Springer representations on the Khovanov Springer varieties, with Julianna Tymoczko, Math. Proc.
Cambridge Philos. Soc. 151:59-81, 2011, arXiv: 0811.0650v1.
• A topological construction for all two-row Springer varieties, Pacific J. Math 253(1): 221-255, 2012,
arXiv: 1007.0611.
• A twisted dimer model for knots, with Moshe Cohen and Oliver Dasbach, arXiv: 1010.5228 (2010, to
appear in Fundamenta Mathematica).
• A reduced set of moves on one-vertex ribbon graphs coming from links, with Abernathy, Armond,
Cohen, Dasbach, Manuel, Penn, and Stoltzfus, arXiv:1112.5172 (2011, to appear in Proceedings of the
AMS).
• Oddification of the cohomology of type A Springer varieties, with Aaron D. Lauda, arXiv:1203.0797
(2012, preprint).
• An explicit bijection between semistandard tableaux and non-elliptic sl 3 webs, arXiv:1204.1037
(2012, preprint).
Invited Talks
• Knots, webs, and tableaux, Fresno State Undergraduate Research Seminar, Fresno, CA (September
2012).
• Oddification of Springer variety cohomology, Conference on Higher Structures, China (August
2012).
• Determinants, dimer coverings, and the Alexander polynomial, Hypatian Seminar, UCSB, California
(June 2012).
• Oddification of Springer variety cohomology, Moab Topology Conference, Moab, UT (May 2012).
• Series of 5 talks on Springer varieties and knot theory, East China Normal University, Shanghai,
China (May 2012).
• A bijection between semistandard tableaux and non-elliptic sl 3 webs, UC Santa Barbara Topology
Seminar, UCSB, California (April 2012).
• Symmetric group actions on webs, AMS Spring Central Sectional Meetings, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, KS (March 2012).
• Determinants, dimer coverings, and the Alexander polynomial, seminar talk, California State University
Channel Islands (March 2012).
• Symmetric group actions on webs, AMS Spring Southeastern Sectional Meeting, USF, Tampa, Florida
(March 2012).
• Oddification and Springer varieties, UC Riverside Topology Seminar, UCR, California (March 2012).
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• Symmetric group actions coming from webs Topology Seminar, Claremont McKenna College (January
2012).
• A reduced set of moves on a special sub collection of knot diagrams, Southern California Women
in Math Symposium, Loyola Marymount University (January 2012).
• Interactions between knot theory and representations of the symmetric group, AWM Workshop,
Joint Math Meetings, Boston, MA (January 2012).
• Springer varieties and spider webs, Iowa-LSU Virtual Seminar, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA (November
2011).
• A Reidemeister type theorem on a subset of knot diagrams, MAA SoCal-Nevada Section Meetings,
CSU-LA, Los Angeles, CA (October 2011).
• Springer varieties and knot theory, USC Geometry/ Topology Seminar, Los Angeles, CA (September
2011).
• Springer varieties and knot theory, Laboratoire PPS Seminar talk, L’ Universite Paris Diderot, Paris,
France (June 2011).
• A twisted dimer model for knots, USTARS Conference, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (April
2011).
• Springer varieties and knot theory, Colloquium talk, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
(March 2011).
• The twisted dimer model, The 45th Annual Spring Topology and Dynamics Conference (March 2011).
• The topology of Springer varieties, Joint Mathematics Meetings, New Orleans, LA (January 2011).
• A dimer model for the twisted Alexander polynomial, AMS Fall Sectional Meeting, UCLA, Los
Angeles, CA (October 2010).
• A twisted dimer model for knots, Knots in Poland, Bedlewo, Poland (July 2010).
• Two-row Springer varieties, XIX Oporto Meeting on Geometry, Topology and Physics, Faro, Portugal
(July 2010).
• The topology of two-row Springer varieties, AMS Spring Sectional Meeting, Newark, New Jersey
(May 2010).
• Springer varieties from a topological perspective, MSRI (January 2010).
• A dimer model for the twisted Alexander polynomial , Joint Mathematics Meetings, San Francisco,
CA (January 2010).
• A topological construction for all two-row Springer varieties, AMS Fall Sectional Meeting, Florida
Atlantic University (October 2009).
• A combinatorial construction for the Springer representation, Algebra Seminar, Louisiana State University
(October 2009).
• Springer varieties by example, Junior Topology Seminar, Louisiana State University (March 2009).
• The topology of two-row Springer varieties, Iowa-LSU Virtual Seminar, Louisiana State University
(March 2009).
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• Springer varieties, knot invariants, and the symmetric group, colloquium talk, James Madison University
(February 2009).
• The coloring invariant for knots and links, colloquium talk, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (January
2009).
• A geometric and combinatorial construction of the Springer representation, AWM Workshop Poster
Session, Joint Mathematics Meetings, Washington D.C. (January 2009).
• Springer representations on the Khovanov Springer fibers, Joint Mathematics Meetings, Washington
D.C. (January 2009).
• Transverse knots and Khovanov homology, Iowa-LSU Virtual Seminar, University of Iowa (September
2008).
• Connections between the Bar-Natan skein module and the (n, n) Springer variety, Workshop on
Geometric Topology. Park City, Utah (June 2008).
• The Bar-Natan skein module of the solid torus and the homology of (n, n) Springer varieties, AMS
Spring Sectional Meeting, Louisiana State University (March 2008).
• The Bar-Natan skein module of the solid torus and the homology of (n, n) Springer varieties, Workshop
on Knots and Quantum Computing, University of Texas at Dallas (December 2007).
• The Bar-Natan skein module of the solid torus and the homology of (n, n) Springer varieties, Knots
in Washington, George Washington University (November 2007).
• Embedded Khovanov homology of S 1 × D 2 and the homology of the (n, n)-Springer Fiber, Iowa-
LSU Virtual Seminar, University of Iowa (November 2007).
• Knots and their Invariants, Heartland Partnership Talk, Grinnell College (November 2007).
• Knots and their Invariants, VIGRE REU, University of Iowa (July 2007).
• RSA and the Quadratic Sieve, Heartland Partnership Talk, Cornell College (October 2006).
Awards and Honors
• USC WISE Merit Award for Postdoctoral Research (2012).
• AMS-Simons travel grant recipient (Fall 2011-Spring 2013).
• AWM-NSF Travel Grant recipient (Summer 2010).
• Invited attendee, Interactions Between Hyperbolic Geometry, Quantum Topology and Number Theory,
Columbia University (Summer 2009).
• University of Iowa Graduate Summer Fellowship recipient (Summer 2009).
• Dr. Eunice Beam WISE Travel Grant recipient (Winter 2008)
• Invited attendee, Institute for Advanced Study Women in Math Program (Spring 2008)
• Fraternity and Sorority Outstanding Teaching Award (Fall 2006)
• University of Iowa Outstanding Teaching Award (Spring 2005)
• University of Iowa Department of Mathematics Outstanding Teaching Award (Spring 2004)
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• George Washington Medal, Washington College (Spring 2003)
• Society of Junior Fellows Research Travel Grant (Spring 2002)
Teaching Experience Related to Undergraduate Research
• CSU Channel Islands Mathematics REU Faculty Mentor (Summer 2012)
In charge of designing and leading an 8-week research project for 4 undergrads. We have 1-2 papers
forthcoming.
• LSU VIGRE vertically integrated knot theory research course co-instructor (Spring 2011, Fall 2010,
Fall 2009) Responsible for the design and direction of a research-oriented course for graduate and
undergraduate students. Work from Fall 2009 resulted in a publication.
• University of Iowa Heartland REU teaching assistant and research mentor (Summer 2008) Assisted
with teaching an advanced undergraduate course on braids and permutations. Oversaw and organized
an undergraduate research project on symmetries of knots.
Teaching Experience at University of Southern California
Course Instructor: Responsible for all lectures, homework assignments, writing of tests and quizzes, and
assignment of final grades. Responsible for managing and working with teaching assistants.
• MATH 125: Calculus I (Fall 2012)
• MATH 435: Vector Analysis and Introduction to Differential Geometry (Spring 2012)
• MATH 226: Calculus III (Fall 2011)
Teaching Experience at Louisiana State University
Course Instructor: Responsible for all lectures, homework assignments, writing of tests and quizzes, and
assignment of final grades.
• 7590: Graduate Contact Topology (Spring 2011)
• 2057: Calculus III (Fall 2009, Fall 2010)
Teaching Experience at The University of Iowa
• Teaching Assistant: New Teaching Assistant Training Course, Intro to Analysis, Honors Calculus I,
Honors Calculus II, Calculus for the Biological Sciences, Calculus for Business.
• Grader: Linear Algebra, Elementary Number Theory, Differential Topology.
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Service to the Profession
• Co-mentoring a Ph.D. student doing summer research with the EDGE (Enhancing Diversity in Graduate
Education) program (Summer 2012).
• Organizing AMS Special Session for Fall Southeastern Sectional with Oliver Dasbach (October 2012).
• Member of the AWM Programs Committee (2012).
• Panelist for USC Career Panel (September 2011).
• Outreach lecture on knot theory at Kenilworth Middle School in Baton Rouge, LA (May 2011).
• Invited speaker for LSU Career Workshop (April 2011).
• Invited speaker for LSU Professional Website Design workshop (March 2011).
• Invited speaker for the LSU Geaux program (August 2010).
• Invited speaker for the LSU Math Circle (June 2010).
• Speaker at LSU First Annual Sonia Kovalevsky Day (May 2010).
• Panelist for LSU Career Workshop (April 2010).
• Panelist for MSRI Connections for women forum (January 2010).
• Co-organizer for the Iowa-LSU Virtual Topology Seminar (Fall 2009).
• Data entry for Iowa City high school math competition (2009, 2008).
• Career panelist for Sonia Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day (2009).
• Co-organizer of Sonia Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day (2008, 2007, 2006)
• Organizer of Underground Topology Seminar (Fall 2007)
• Organizer of VIGRE Second Year Seminar (Fall 2007)
• Tutor for displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina (Fall 2005)
• Member of the selection committee for Faculty Outstanding Teaching Awards (Fall 2005)
• Organizer of GAUSS - Graduate and Undergraduate Student Seminar (Fall 2004 - Spring 2006)
• Peer Mentor for SROP Conference Attendees (Summer 2004)
References
• Prof. Oliver Dasbach (Louisiana State University)
• Prof. Charles Frohman (The University of Iowa),
• Prof. Mikhail Khovanov (Columbia University),
• Prof. James Oxley (Teaching reference, Louisiana State University),
• Prof. Jonathan Simon (Teaching reference, The University of Iowa),
• Prof. Julianna Tymoczko (The University of Iowa),
• Prof. Cynthia Wyels (Teaching reference, CSU Channel Islands).
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