Vance Selected for Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute Program

Simpson College Associate Professor of Math Dr. Katherine Vance has been accepted to the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) program for Summer Research in Mathematics. Vance will be in residence at SLMath in Berkeley, Calif., in June 2025 for the program, which provides space, funding and opportunity for in-person collaborative research.

Vance and her project collaborators will continue a research project they made significant strides on during Vance’s sabbatical in spring 2024. SLMath will also fund post-program travel to continue their research and present at conferences.

“Getting accepted into this program is meaningful because it shows a recognition of the research work that my collaborators and I are engaged in,” said Vance.  “The two weeks we will have at the SLMath Institute will fuel and accelerate my research over the next few years.”

Based on the fact that each researcher teaches at a primarily undergraduate institution, Vance’s team calls itself the Topology Intersect Teaching Collaborative. Researchers include Anthony Bosman (Andrews University), Chris Davis (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire), Taylor Martin (Sam Houston State University), and Sarah Seger (Concordia College-Moorhead, Minn.). The team’s project is entitled “Structure of Link Homotopy: Gordian Distance and Beyond.”

According to its website, SLMath is recognized for bringing together leading minds in mathematics for more than 40 years as a National Science Foundation supported research institute.