Keynote Speaker Bios

Cornelia Van Cott

Cornelia Van Cott is an associate professor of mathematics at the University of San Francisco, where she has been for eight years. She received her B.S. in mathematics at Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois) and her Ph.D. at Indiana University. Outside of teaching math courses, she enjoys thinking about topology, working with children at math circles and summer math camps, and advising the Women in Science student club at USF. She also enjoys serving on the leadership team for the San Francisco Math Teachers' Circle. In any spare time, she likes to read library books and drink Philz coffee.

Francis Su

Francis Edward Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is currently President of the Mathematical Association of America. His research is in geometric combinatorics and applications to the social sciences, and he has co-authored numerous papers with undergraduates. He has received multiple NSF research grants for his work. He also has a passion for teaching and popularizing mathematics. From the Mathematical Association of America, he received the 2001 Hasse Prize for expository writing, and the 2004 Alder Award and the 2013 Haimo Award for distinguished teaching. He authors the popular Math Fun Facts website and is creator of "MathFeed," the math news app. His hobbies include songwriting, gardening, photography, and theology. Just like mathematics, these are modes of creative expression that divinely blend structure and freedom, truth and beauty, reflection and action.