Sarah Witherspoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Witherspoon
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| Born |
Sarah Jane Witherspoon
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Arizona State University University of Chicago |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Toronto Mills College University of Wisconsin–Madison Mount Holyoke College University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst College Texas A&M University |
Sarah Jane Witherspoon is an American mathematician. She studies special kinds of math called abstract algebra. This includes topics like how mathematical structures change and how they relate to things called quantum groups. She teaches mathematics at Texas A&M University.
Her School Days
Sarah Witherspoon finished her first degree at Arizona State University in 1988. While there, she won the Charles Wexler Mathematics Prize. This award recognized her as the top math student at the university that year.
She then continued her studies in mathematics at the University of Chicago. She earned her Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in 1994. Her main research project, called a dissertation, was about "The Representation Ring of the Quantum Double of a Finite Group."
Her Teaching Career
After finishing her Ph.D., Dr. Witherspoon taught at the University of Toronto from 1994 to 1998.
She then worked as a visiting professor at several other colleges. These included Mills College, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Mount Holyoke College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Amherst College. In 2004, she joined the faculty at Texas A&M University, where she still teaches today.
Awards and Honors
In 2018, Sarah Witherspoon was chosen as a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. This is a big honor for mathematicians. She was recognized for her important work in an area called representation theory. She also received this award for helping other mathematicians and for being a mentor.
She was also named an MSRI Simons Professor for the spring of 2020. This is a special position at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, which is a leading center for math research.
