Math-ing. Teaching. Baking.
Hello,
a bit about me:
I'm Noelle, a Bahamian mathematician. My main areas of research are dynamics and geometry. My advisor was David Constantine at Wesleyan University. When I'm not doing math, chances are that you'll find me baking, reading, or dreaming up new things to try when I'm teaching.
I'm currently the Genevieve & Thatcher Atkin Junior Professor in Mathematics at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas! Here's my CV.
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Email me at sawyern@southwestern.edu!
TEACHING
In the 2024/2025 academic year, I'm teaching Intro Stats, Algebraic Structures, Real Analysis, and a First Year Seminar on Board Games. I'm on sabbatical in the Spring!
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In the past, I have
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mentored a student on their Honors Thesis in translation surfaces
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helped to create material and plan a new calculus sequence at Wesleyan
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taught calculus, statistics, real analysis, and topology courses
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been a teaching assistant for various Wesleyan math courses
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taught a seventh grade math class for several summers
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been the TA for a math course run by the Wesleyan Center for Prison Education
See details in my CV
RESEARCH
My research is in dynamics and geometry. I'm currently thinking a lot about marked length spectrum rigidity and thermodynamic formalism.
Recent and Upcoming talks: UT Austin Topology Seminar (April '24), Mid-Atlantic Math Alliance Keynote (April '24), and Modern Mathematics Workshop (October '24)
Big Ideas In Dynamics: An AIM Research Community for Graduate Students in Dynamics is launched in February 2023! We have a second semester starting September 2023! It's co-organized by Benjamin Call and myself. It focuses on collaborative learning among graduate students in dynamical systems, specifically smooth dynamics, ergodic theory, and homogeneous dynamics. We hope to build connections across institutions, and strengthen the reading, research, and collaboration skills of current and recent graduate students.
SERVICE & ACTIVITIES
Find more details on service and activites on this page!
Co-organizer, Big Ideas in Dynamics and Geometry -A hybrid conference
September 2024
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Member, AIM Human Resources Board
Fall 2023 - Present
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Co-organizer, Big Ideas in Dynamics: An AIM Research Community
Spring 2023 - Present
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Mentor, Roots of Unity
June 2024
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Co-organizer, A Word Problem: the hows and whys of math communication
A special session at Science Writers
October 2023
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Fellow, Project NExT
2021-2022
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Member, National Association of Mathematicians Publicity and Publication Committee
August 2019 - October 2021
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Co-organizer, Black in Math Week
November 2020
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Cohost, #BlackInMathWeek, an episode of the podcast Relatively Prime
November 2020
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Co-organizer, Midwest Dynamical Systems Early Career Conference
November 2020​
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