[Hayley] takes the initiative to challenge herself. I love to hear her explain her reasoning on problems which are meant to "stump the chumps." She really knows how to think things through and problem-solve.

Below is a quick look into how I grew from the grade schooler with a knack for solving equations into a doctor of mathematics.

Growing Up - Eugene, Oregon

I grew up in Eugene, Oregon and spent my summers enjoying outdoor activities --the Willamette Valley has a lot of great green spaces and peaks to conquer. I also participated in 4H and raised and showed sheep at the Lane County 4H fair in the summer. Throughout high school I gravitated towards activities in the arts. I play both flute and tenor saxophone and participated in my school's concert band and the local Eugene-Springfield Youth Symphony, as well as worked on the production team for the theater department.

I was also a member of my school's Retreat Team, a group that acted as team leaders to foster community at the school and also lead the spiritual retreats hosted by the school. Additionally, I started my experience in teaching mathematics with volunteering in a 7th grade math class at a local middle school.

Undergraduate Experience - Gonzaga University

I earned my undergraduate degree in mathematics, with honors, at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Originally, I studied in the chemistry department. However, my sophomore year I was recommended by my calculus professor to work in the math department's Tutoring Lab. From there, I learned about an undergraduate research group studying knot theory. Working with the group made me discover my passion for math research and lead me to persue the opportunity to do additional research in knot theory at an REU at California State University, San Bernardino summer of 2016.

During my time in undergrad, I also had the opportunity to volunteer with the Gonzaga Math Tutoring Outreach Program. This is a program where K-12 students from local schools could come to recieve help with their math course work. It was always a delight getting to work with the younger students and watching them beam with pride when they finish their work.

Graduate Experience - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

During my time at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I've had the opportunity to learn from a some great professors as well as teach some classes of my own. I've also been afforded a lot of opportunities to serve my local math community. You can read more about all of those experiences in the linked pages.

In addition, the community fostered within my cohort at UNL really augmented my graduate experience. We not only supported eachother through late nights studying and prepping to teach our first courses, but also made time to have some fun together. Our first year I coordinated a simple monthly craft for my cohort to do as a quick break between classes to decompress and catch up. Some notable memories throughout the rest of the years include Bread Club meetings where we met up between classes over baked goods from one of the graduate students and making it all the way to the semi-finals of the co-ed flag football league in my third year.

Postdoctoral Experience - Carnegie Mellon University

I've just started as a postdoctoral associate at Carnegie Mellon Univsersity and so far the experience has been great! More details to come as I get farther into the position.

Interests and Hobbies

In between taking and teaching classes, I enjoy spending time with my dog Chevelle. She's a rescued retired racing Greyhound and is always excited to explore the neighborhood and the extensive Lincoln city trail system. When the cold Nebraska winter settles in, Chevelle settles into the couch while I bake treats in the kitchen, design a new build for a Minecraft server I share with friends, or snuggle up with her and knit up some cozy socks and scarves.