Joel Louwsma

Education

• Ph.D., Mathematics, California Institute of Technology, June 2010 (expected)
• Thesis: Extremal Quasimorphisms on Braid Groups
• Advisor: Danny Calegari
• B.S. with Highest Honors in Mathematics, University of Michigan, April 2005
• Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 spent at the Math in Moscow program.
• Spring 2003 spent at the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics program.

Research Interests

Papers

• Extremal Quasimorphisms on Braid Groups, in preparation.
• (with A. Presoto and A. Tarr) A New Computation of the Codimension Sequence of the Grassmann Algebra, Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal, Vol. 6 (2005)
• Homeomorphism Groups of the Sierpinski Carpet and Sierpinski Gasket, part of REU project, Summer 2004.

Talks

• Stable Commutator Length in Braid Groups, Joint Mathematics Meetings, January 2010
• Mapping Class Groups, Caltech Graduate Student Summer Seminar, August 2009
• Homological Representations of Braid Groups, Caltech Informal Geometry/Topology Seminar, December 2008
• Asymptotic Cones, Caltech Geometric Group Theory Reading Course, May 2008
• Mapping Class Groups, Caltech Informal Geometry/Topology Seminar, November 2007
• A New Computation of the Codimension Sequence of the Grassmann Algebra, Universidade de Campinas REU Symposium, August 2004
• Homeomorphism Groups of the Sierpinski Carpet and Sierpinski Gasket, University of Michigan REU Colloquium, June 2004

Conferences Attended

• Oberwolfach Seminar on Bounded Cohomology, Oberwolfach, Germany, May-June 2009
• More Examples of Groups, Ohio State University, May 2009
• Southern California Topology Conference, California Institute of Technology, January 2009
• Examples of Groups, Ohio State University, May-June 2008
• Georgia Topology Conference, University of Georgia, May 2008
• Ahlfors-Bers Colloquium, Rutgers University-Newark, May 2008
• Geometric Groups on the Gulf Coast, Pensacola, Florida, March 2008
• Joint Mathematics Meetings, San Diego, California, January 2008
• Topics in Teichmüller Theory and Kleinian Groups, MSRI, November 2007
• Introduction to Geometric Group Theory, MSRI, August 2007
• Introduction to Teichmüller Theory and Kleinian Groups, MSRI, August 2007
• Workshop in Geometric Topology, Calvin College, June 2007
• Geometry and the Imagination, Princeton University, June 2007
• Southern California Topology Conference, California Institute of Technology, January 2007
• IAS/Park City Mathematics Institute, Park City, Utah, June-July 2006
• Joint Mathematics Meetings, Atlanta, Georgia, January 2005

Teaching Experience

• Teaching Assistant, California Institute of Technology, 2005-present
  
• I prepared and taught recitations, held office hours, and graded homework and exams. I did this for the following courses:
• • Calculus, Fall 2005
  • Linear Algebra, Winter 2006, Winter 2007
  • Multivariable Calculus, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2009
  • Differential Equations, Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009
  • Probability and Statistics, Winter 2008, Winter 2009
• Head Teaching Assistant, California Institute of Technology, Fall 2007, Spring 2009
• In addition to the above responsibilities of a teaching assistant, I supervised the other teaching assistants, coordinated grading of homework and exams, and handled various other administrative matters.
• Teaching Assistant, Center for Talented Youth Summer Programs, Summer 2005
• I taught some classes, led problem sessions, and gave students feedback about their work. I did this for the following courses:
• • Cryptography, Session 1
  • Game Theory, Session 2

Honors and Awards

• Caltech Project for Effective Teaching Certificate, 2009
• This certificate was awarded in recognition of successful completion of the Pedagogy Workshop Series.
• Graduate Research Assistantship, California Institute of Technology, Summer 2006, Summer 2007, Summer 2008, Spring 2009, Summer 2009, Fall 2009
• AMS Math in Moscow Scholarship, Fall 2004, Spring 2005
• Outstanding Achievement Award, Departent of Mathematics, University of Michigan, April 2004

Service

• Committee to determine mathematics placement of incoming undergraduates, Caltech, 2009
• Coordinated TA training for math graduate students in conjunction with Caltech Project for Effective Teaching, Fall 2008
• Coordinated orientation activities for new math graduate students, 2006-2008
• Volunteer assistant for International Student Orientation, 2006-2009
• Host for many prospective graduate students, 2006-2008

Citizenship

References