Sierra Knavel
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics & Computer Science
Ashland University
Sierra Knavel
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics & Computer Science
Ashland University
she/her
I received my Ph.D. in Mathematics at Georgia Institute of Technology in Summer 2026 under advisement of John Etnyre. My dissertation was titled "On the topology of Lefschetz fibrations" and includes three parts: results on properties of Lefschetz fibrations, results on constructing Lefschetz fibrations, and results on Lefschetz fibrations in the study of symplectic divisor compactifications.
I received a B.S. in Mathematics from Ohio University's Honors Tutorial College in May 2020.
Teaching:
In Fall 2026, I am teaching Math108 Intro to Stats, Math205 Calculus I, and Math205 Calculus III
Service:
Faculty contact for Ashland U Math Club
Co-faculty contact for Ashland U Problem Solving Group
Co-organizer of WiSCon, the Workshop in Symplectic and Contact Geometry and Topology.
Research
Symplectic 4-manifolds, Lefschetz fibrations, Kahler manifolds, algebraic varieties
Contact 3-manifolds, Legendrian links, symplectizations, Lagrangians, curvature
Aug-24-29, 2026: WiSCon (Workshop in Symplectic and Contact Geometry and Topology) @ IPAM
December 11-13, 2026 (Friday-Sunday), Tech Topology Conference. Georgia Tech, Atlanta <conference website link> Deadline to Apply: Friday Oct 9
See AMS: Mathematics Calendar for upcoming conferences.