Érika Roldán Roa is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics. She is part of the Topology, Geometry and Data Analysis (TGDA) research group. She received her PhD in May 2018 from the Center for Research in Mathematics (CIMAT) in Guanajuato, México, where she was jointly advised by Matt Kahle of Ohio State and Víctor Pérez-Abreu of CIMAT.
Roldán Roa has an active research agenda. Her interests include topological, geometric and computational combinatorics, as well as topological data analytics and configuration spaces. She has given many invited research talks in such venues as the Mathematical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Laboratory for Topology and Neuroscience at EPFL in Switzerland, Université Libre de Bruxelles, as well as talks at Duke University and Brown University.
In addition to her research, Roldán Roa has initiated many outreach activities during her time at Ohio State. Among these are the following:
Beyond the Classroom: Girls Exploring Math is a three-week program for women high school students who want to explore mathematics and programming beyond their high school programs. The first meeting was jointly sponsored by the Department of Mathematics and the STEAM Factory and was held at the STEAM Factory in July 2018. The next incarnation will be held July 2019. More information can be found at Beyond the Classroom: Girls Exploring Math.
In December of 2018, Roldán Roa helped found the Outreach and Popularization of Mathematics OSU Group. This body is formed by undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty to increase and develop the public awareness of mathematics and its relationship with arts, engineering and other sciences. They design and implement workshops, talks, exhibitions, hands-on activities and other formats of popularization and outreach of mathematics related activities.
