Activities
Dance Projects
Dance is a love as close to my heart as mathematics. I love all forms of dance, but I focus on modern/contemporary, swing dance, and ballet. In undergraduate, I double-majored in both math and dance. At this time, I started making dance pieces about mathematical concepts and this continues to be an interest for me. Here are some of the dances that I have made.
- Braiding Through Time (2024)
A blend of dance, poetry, and math explanation. Motivates and explains the fundamental group of the configuration space of three points using dancers.
- I lift up my eyes to the hills. (2022)
Performed at the UW Dance Majors Concert my senior year. The dance is inspired by the optimal solution to the Tower of Hanoi puzzle. Much of the choreography is generated using this sequence of moves.
- AscendingDescending (2020)
An exploration of the Padelford parking lot in the style of Ecsher.
- Can we predict the wind? (2021)
Inspired by chaos theory, exploring themes of antisymmetry and symmetry.
GrapefruitGecko
I started my YouTube channel, GrapefruitGecko, in 2019 so I could have a place to share exciting new math that I was learning. The channel is grounded in physical, tactile explanation with visuals at the forefront. I try to demonstrate everything with physical models instead of opting for computer graphics. A selection of recent videos:
- The Dynamic Doubling Map (2023)
An exploration of the dynamics of the doubling map on the circle told through poetry, narrative, and stop motion.
- A cozy history of hyperbolic geometry (2023)
An introduction to hyperbolic geometry following the historical narrative and using crocheted hyperbolic surfaces as a model of explanation. This videography combines interview-style video and stop motion.
- The Gauss-Bonnet Theorem (2022)
The last video in a three-part series on the combinatorial Gauss-Bonnet Theorem.
Mathematical Crafting
Crocheted Seifert Surfaces
In 2023, I met Shiying Dong who taught me how to make crocheted Seifert surfaces of knots and links. We made an overview video and a tutorial video together for one of her projects. Since then, Shiying has started her own YouTube channel for tutorials of her designs. She has some written explanations of her projects: the trefoil knot and the (3,4) torus knot.
I continue to make models of Seifert surfaces using her techniques. I have also started holding my own topological crochet workshops at U Chicago to teach Shiying's designs.
MMT string art
As I was thinking about modular stitch graphs (formally called "Modular Multiplication Tables" in my work) and writing Curve Stitching and Dancing Planets, I started experimenting with ways to craft these objects. I devised a method for creating the patterns by wrapping string around cardboard disks. If you would like to try this, here are the materials for the craft:
- Find some single-ply cardboard boxes. Use your nearest laser cutter at your university or public library. Use this template to cut out disks.
- Any string or yarn could work. I used Aunt Lydia's size 10 classic crochet thread.
- I made an instruction sheet here. Feel free to print and distribute with credit.
Service
- Leadership team for U Chicago chapter of Association for Women in Mathematics.
- U Chicago DRP mentoring Spring 2025
- U Chicago REU mentoring Summer 2024, 2025
- Leadership team for Graduate Christian Fellowship at U Chicago.