Hello! I’m a fourth year mathematics Ph.D. student and NSF graduate fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, advised by Mona Merling. I’m generally interested in algebraic topology and homotopy theory, and I also have an interest in mathematical visualization and communication. I believe that math can be accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Here is my CV.

Pronouns: she/her or they/them

Email: callem “at” sas “dot” upenn “dot” edu

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About

• My name is pronounced “mack-SEEN eh-LEH-na CAH-shay.” I grew up in San Diego, CA, and I attended the Waldorf School of San Diego. My high school education inspired me to do a lot of art, music, and performance. (You can check out some of my art and stuff here.)
• I got a B.A. in math in 2020 from Reed College in Portland, OR. I started out as a Philosophy major, but switched to Math at the end of my second year. I worked closely with Kyle Ormsby and Angélica Osorno, and they both got me into algebraic topology. I also worked with Paul Hovda in the Philosophy department, thinking about stuff like mathematical structuralism. I was featured on What is a Reedie? where I talk a bit about myself, my undergraduate thesis, and my Reed College experience. Read my full responses here.
• My REU experience with Corey Dunn convinced me to pursue math graduate school. I started my Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in the Fall of 2020. I passed my oral exam in Spring 2022 (here’s the syllabus and my master’s thesis).
• In summer 2023, I was an AAAS Mass Media Fellow at The Conversation US. Learn more about what I worked on here.

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Upcoming Travel and Conferences

• November-December 2023: Spaces of Manifolds: Algebraic and Geometric Approaches BIRS Workshop; Banff, Alberta (Canada).
• January 2024: JMM; San Francisco, CA.
• July 2024: Scissors congruences, algebraic K-theory and Steinberg modules AIM Workshop;  Caltech, CA.

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