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Now

Spring 2022

Current teaching
MATH 103 – The Nature of Mathematics
MATH 232 – Calculus with Functions II
MATH 297 – Undergraduate Research in Knot Theory

Current collaborations
Spatial graphs, Celtic knots, karst modeling, wave function collapse design

New this fall!
Haynes Scholars Residential Learning Community

Stuff I’m making
Catalan snaps, volume nets, knots and graphs, knitting machine punch cards, secret project involving squares

Recent

Recent publications and events

2021 AMS Calendar

Perko Morph is Mr. March!

Catalogs for Mathematical 3D-Prints

Downloadable files, print-on-demand, and interactive 3D visualizations

Catalog of 3D-Printable Catalan Solids

Catalog of 3D-Printable Spatial Graphs

Catalog of 3D-Printable Knots (coming soon)

Academic

Recent Publications

Recent peer-reviewed published articles

Modeling Dynamical Systems for 3D Printing

Stephen Lucas, Evelyn Sander, and Laura Taalman
Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 67, No.11, p. 1692-1705, 2020

Wallpaper Patterns for Lattice Designs

Laura Taalman and Carolyn Yackel
Proceedings of Bridges Aalto, p. 223-230, 2020

Optimizing Morton’s Tritangentless Knots for Rolling

Abigail Eget, Stephen Lucas, and Laura Taalman
Proceedings of Bridges Aalto, p. 367-370, 2020

Opportunity costs in the game of best choice

Madeline Crews, Brant Jones, Kaitlyn Myers, Laura Taalman, Michael Urbanski, and Breeann Wilson
Electronic Journal of Combinatorics, Vol. 26, Issue #1, 2019

→ See all papers

Selected Courses

Classes taught at James Madison University

Calculus with Functions I

MATH 231
*now online!*
STEM Calculus I with Precalculus

Fabrication and Analysis of 3D Puzzles

UNST 300E
General Education pilot course

Discrete Mathematics and Introduction to Proof

MATH 245
Bridge course for the major

→ See all classes

Active Labs

Learning spaces at James Madison University

JMU Experimental Mathematics Lab

Early exploratory undergraduate research in computational and experimental mathematics

JMU 3SPACE

General Education 3D Printing Classroom

→ Learn More

Selected Presentations

Talks at conferences and events

Software for Mathematical 3D Printing

Geometry Labs United Seminar

Making Math Real: Knot Theory

MAA Distinguished Carriage House Lecture

Knot Theory, Experimental Math, & 3D Printing

Math Encounters Public Lecture at MoMath

Printing Perfect Pentagons

5-minute talk at Gathering for Gardner G4G13

→ See all talks

mathgrrl

mathgrrl Designs

3D models and other geeky stuff

Perko Morph

Designed with KnotPlot, MeshLab, TopMod, and Meshmixer; 3D printed in full color powder with binder.

Giant Spiky Perko Knot

Designed with KnotPlot, TopMod, and Cura; 3D printed with FDM in Polylactic Acid with custom supports.

→ See all designs

HACKTASTIC

A blog about design, math, and failure

June 30, 2021

Space-Filling Terrazzo – Getting Started

Space-Filling Terrazzo – Getting Started https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_5906-1.jpeg 640 480 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g June 30, 2021 July 1, 2021

This is the first in a series of posts about a space-filling riff on Tinna’s Terrazzo Afghan. Our design is going to start off looking like one of Tinna’s Terazzo squares, but it’s going to continue as a larger and larger square, with lots of different but “space-filling” patterns along the way. It won’t be ONE space-filling curve (sorry, math geeks), but it will fill space efficiently as we build the pattern out from the center.

October 29, 2020

Electoral State Stackers

Electoral State Stackers https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/pencil_stands_lead.jpg 2016 1512 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g October 29, 2020 October 31, 2020

I haven’t been stress-printing before the election, YOU have. Well, maybe you will after this post, at least. Fire up your 3D printer(s) because there are dozens of things you need to print before Tuesday, including each of the 50 states (and DC, which has 3 electoral votes), sized to each have approximately the same area, with heights determined by number of electoral votes.

July 31, 2020

10 Quick Tips for Building an Interactive Math Course in Canvas

10 Quick Tips for Building an Interactive Math Course in Canvas https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/screenshot55.jpg 1906 1452 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g July 31, 2020 July 31, 2020

Fall semester is coming and you’re teaching online… let’s pause for a small scream 😭

Next year we’ll all be experts and there will be no end of talks, papers, and blog posts that we can use to figure out what to do. But right now we need the quick and dirty. What can we do NOW, and fast, to make our online math course content more interactive and engaging? If you’re getting ready to teach math online and your school’s LMS is Canvas, here are 10 quick tips to get you rolling.

July 25, 2020

Fitted Face Mask for People Who Aren’t Great at Sewing

Fitted Face Mask for People Who Aren’t Great at Sewing https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IMG_4724-scaled.jpg 2560 1920 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g July 25, 2020 January 4, 2021

Over the past weeks I’ve iterated mask designs many times, acquired a bunch of sewing supplies, and learned from a lot of online patterns and videos. This mask design has a sewn-in nose wire, elastic loops that go all the way around your head, a filter sewn inside the mask, and minimal exposed seams. It’s washable and reversible, so you can decide which side is the outside after you’re done sewing it, or each time you wash it.

May 28, 2020

Using LaTeX with the New Canvas Quiz Engine

Using LaTeX with the New Canvas Quiz Engine https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Screen-Shot-2020-05-28-at-6.08.50-PM234.jpg 800 601 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g May 28, 2020 May 30, 2020

Okay. Deep breath. It’s time to start figuring out how to teach online… I mean, how to do Actually Do It Well, not just as an emergency solution thrown together over a frenzied and sleepless week. There is a lot to work to do, so let’s start with something small: online math quizzes. In this post we’ll walk through how to use LaTeX typesetting in both the new and legacy Canvas quiz engines.

→ See all posts