I am a 3rd year PhD student in mathematics at Wesleyan University working with Emily Stark. I study geometric group theory, and in particular I'm interested in the computational properties of groups. Recently, I've been thinking about Dehn functions.
Before joining Wesleyan, I worked in data analytics. I obtained a M.S. from Temple University working with Ed Letzter, and a B.S. from Appalachian State Unversity, both in mathematics.
My pronouns are she/her. You can contact me at erhoads [at] wesleyan [dot] edu.
Talks
Building Blocks of Geometric Group Theory — SWiM • Spring 2025 — 3-part mini-course.
Dehn Functions — GTA: Philadelphia 2024 • Summer 2024
At the Wesleyan Graduate Student Seminar:
word2vec — Spring 2025
Combings of Groups — Spring 2025
Applications of Corridors — Fall 2024
Mapping Tori and Corridors — Fall 2024
Dehn Functions — Spring 2024
Automorphisms of Free Groups — Fall 2023
The Word Problem in Hyperbolic Groups — Fall 2022
Expressions, Languages, and Machines — Fall 2022
Computing Decisions for Finitely Presented Algebras — Fall 2022
Teaching
I am currently teaching Elementary Statistics at Wesleyan.
As part of the Directed Reading Program at Wesleyan, I mentored:
Stefan Hesseling on regular languages and finite state automata in Spring 2024. We used Word Processing in Groups by Epstein, et al. and A Course in Formal Languages, Automata and Groups by Chiswell as reference.
Amit Piryatinsky and Sam Wheeler on braid groups in Fall 2024. We used A Study of Braids by Murasugi and Kurpita as reference.
I served as a teaching assistant for the following courses at Wesleyan:
Applied Linear Algebra — Fall 2024
Linear Algebra — Fall 2023
Elementary Statistics — Spring 2023
Design of Programming Languages — Fall 2022
I acted as a workshop leader on graph theory for Sonia Kovalevsky Day at Temple University in Spring 2019, in collaboration with Thomas Ng.
Conferences
Riverside Workshop on Geometric Group Theory — University of Virginia • Spring 2025
Student Workshop in Mathematics — Wesleyan University • Spring 2025
Geometry and Topology Seminar at Brown and Yale — Yale University • Fall 2024
GTA: Philadelphia — Temple University • Summer 2024
Riverside Workshop on Geometric Group Theory — University of California Riverside • Spring 2024
Fairfield Algebra Regional Meeting — Fairfield University • Fall 2023
Groups, Actions, and Geometries — Tufts University • Summer 2023
Graduate Student Conference in Algebra, Geometry, and Topology — Temple University • Summer 2018*