Michela Arnaboldi
Michela Arnaboldi is a Teaching Professor and Collegiate Lecturer in LSA, Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. She earned her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology from the Universita’ degli Studi di Ancona, Italy, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Michigan. She is an oceanographer who has taught an array of classes on campus and in the field, both in Northern Michigan and in Italy. She particularly enjoys teaching introductory classes where she gets to share her passion for Geology, Oceanography, and Sustainability with students. Beyond teaching, Dr Arnaboldi enjoys working on the NYT Spelling Bee daily, reading, gardening, and travel.
Caleb Ashley
Caleb is a NSF Ascend Fellow based in the Mathematics Department at Boston College. He describes himself as a happy geometer-- being present, showing up authentically and purposefully in the world, he most happily leans toward geometric interpretations of ideas and structure. Trained at Howard University in Washington, DC, Caleb has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Maryland College Park, the University of Michigan, Boston College, and SLMATH (formally MSRI) in Berkeley, California.
Caleb is an avid birder, gardener, and fisherman. He also enjoys poetry, music, and dance. Most recently he enjoys spending time training for his next marathon!
Pat Boland
Pat is a Lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus. Before receiving his BA from Providence College, he studied number theory and combinatorics in Budapest, Hungary. He later earned a PhD from the University of Massachusetts in geometry and topology. Pat came to the University of Michigan as a postdoctoral scholar in 2009 and has had the opportunity to teach a wide variety of undergraduate (and some graduate) math courses. One of his favorite courses to teach is Math 389 (Explorations in Mathematics). This course gives him the opportunity to guide young math researchers. Pat is proud to have given several talks to students in area high schools, including those affiliated with the Wolverine Pathways program. He currently enjoys researching interactions between number theory and hyperbolic geometry, is mildly obsessed with the Markoff numbers, and is interested in learning more physics.
Lynn Carpenter
Lynn graduated several years ago from the University of Illinois with her M.S. and Ph.D. She was trained in plant-animal interactions and then postglacial migration patterns of white spruce. She then went on to the University of Notre Dame as a Postdoctoral Research Associate for three years where she worked on ancient DNA. Her current research project involves understanding the genetic impacts of radiation exposure on long-lived trees. Although she was trained as a scientists, her first love is teaching. She currently teaches a variety of courses at Michigan including General Ecology Lab, Microbiology, Introduction to Ecology and Evolution, Science Writing, The Science of Study, and a variety of other classes as needed. For hobbies, she likes to scuba dive and explore shipwrecks, she currently has a small animal rescue with 4 dogs, 3 cats, 5 guinea pigs, one tortoise and a very patient spouse.
Zhan Chen
Zhan is a Michael D. Morris Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Biophysics, and Applied Physics in the Department of Chemistry of the University of Michigan. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, and did his postdoctoral research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The research in his group at the University of Michigan is focused on the molecular level characterizations of complicated surfaces and interfaces, such as polymer surfaces, polymer interfaces, and interfacial proteins using advanced analytical techniques. Such research provides in-depth understanding of molecular mechanisms of biocompatibility, biofouling, and polymer adhesion. Zhan received his National Science Foundation Career Award in 2004, and his Beckman Young Investigator Award in 2003. He was named as a Dow Corning Assistant/Associate Professor between 2003 and 2006. He is a fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a senior editor of Langmuir, a flagship journal on interfacial science published by American Chemical Society. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling.
Mark Conger
Mark Conger Mark is a Lecturer and program developer of the Douglass Houghton Scholars Program. He received his B.A. degree from Williams College and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. In between his M.A. and Ph.D., he spent several years working as a professional computer programmer, and did lots of programming for fun as well. His research interests are in enumerative combinatorics and probability, but he considers himself a mathematical generalist. His recent work has focused on the mathematics of card shuffling and dealing. He is the recipient of the 2019 Golden Apple Award, the only teaching award at the University of Michigan given by students. He has been teaching in MMSS since 2002.
Stephen DeBacker
Stephen is an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Department of Mathematics. He did his undergraduate work at Santa Clara University and received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Before joining the faculty at the University of Michigan, he had appointments at Harvard and the University of Chicago. He is interested in using geometry and analysis to answer certain questions which arise in number theory. He spends nearly every mathematical free moment with his family; but in his spare time, he thinks up ways to make Loren Spice laugh so hard that Loren cries.
Karishma Sekhon Edgar
Sydney Gable
Sydney Gable is a Lecturer in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Michigan. She teaches introductory Earth science courses including Introduction to Oceanography and Geology of the National Parks. She earned her undergraduate degree in Physics and Geological Sciences at Michigan State University. Soon after, she came to the University of Michigan where she completed her Ph.D. When she is not developing new and exciting course content, she is conducting research in seismology and earthquake hazard. Her work focuses on improving statistical methods for earthquake hazard assessments and source characterization for small earthquakes. Her research has focused in a number of tectonic regions such as Alaska and southern California, as well as human-induced earthquakes in Texas and Oklahoma. In her free time she enjoys hiking, board games, and scary movies.
Ari Gafni
Gafni is a retired Professor from the Department of Biophysics at the University of Michigan. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Following postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University he returned to the Weizmann Institute as a faculty member. His research focused on the mechanisms that feature in the folding of a newly synthesized polypeptide chain into the precisely formed and biologically active protein molecule. Gafni joined the University of Michigan in 1983 and developed long-lasting research into the role that incorrectly folded proteins play in several devastating human diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and type-2 diabetes. In these studies, Gafni used a variety of cutting-edge biophysical tools, including single molecule microscopy, a technique that allows one to address mechanistic details of the origin and evolution of molecular toxicity at a level of detail that is impossible to achieve by conventional experimental approaches. Beyond science, Gafni enjoys travel, reading and raising exotic plants.
Emily Graetz
Emily Graetz is a Lecturer in the Computer Science department here at the University of Michigan. They have always been drawn to both Computer Science and Math, and especially the line between the two. They got a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Math from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, followed by two Master's degrees, one in Computer Science and one in Math, from the University of Michigan. Since then, they have been teaching Discrete Math and Foundations of Computer Science, the Mathiest courses in the Computer Science department. In their spare time, Emily enjoys playing all kinds of games (board, video, card). They also like solving interesting puzzles (e.g. physical puzzles, Conceptis Puzzles, NOT jigsaw). Additionally, Emily has been involved with Sweet Adelines singing, and enjoys overtone singing.
Dragan Huterer
Dragan Huterer is a theoretical cosmologist and professor in the Department of Physics. His research is focused on trying to understand the nature and properties of "dark energy", a mysterious component that makes up about 70% of energy in the universe and makes its expansion accelerate, and whose understanding presents major unsolved problem in astrophysics and cosmology. Huterer grew up in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (former Yugoslavia) and received a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, was awarded UM’s Henry Russel Award for “exceptional scholarship and conspicuous ability as a teacher," and currently serves as the Associate Chair for the Physics Graduate Program.
Michael Jones
Michael A. Jones earned his B.S. degree from Santa Clara University and M.A. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Northwestern University. After a 3-year position at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a 1-year visiting position at Loyola University in Chicago, he taught for 10 years at Montclair State University in New Jersey. In August 2008, he became an Associate Editor for Mathematical Reviews, a division of the American Mathematical Society based in Ann Arbor. His research interests include the development and application of mathematics to analyze the social sciences, including economics, political science, psychology, and law. His 5-year term as editor for Mathematical Association of America’s Mathematics Magazine ended in 2019.
Anne McNeil
Anne McNeil is a Carol A. Fierke Professor of Chemistry, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, and the Program in the Environment. Her research is aimed at addressing some of the world's biggest challenges through chemical recycling or upcycling of waste plastics, developing methods to capture microplastics, measuring microplastics in the environment, and designing redox active molecules for energy storage applications. She has won several awards for excellence in both teaching and research. She is also the proud mom of two kids.
Jenna Munson
Jenna Munson is a lecturer in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. She earned her undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Minnesota where her research focused on the Great Lakes. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography where her research focused on understanding how ocean circulation affects changes in Earth’s climate (as sensationalized in the climate disaster film Day After Tomorrow).
Jenna’s classes at the University of Michigan focus on environmental science and natural resources (i.e. minerals, oil, gas, and water). She also teaches at the University of Michigan’s Camp Davis Rocky Mountain Field Station and particularly enjoys teaching classes with students in the field, as opposed to lecturing to students in a classroom, and is excited to get in the field with MMSS students! Outside of teaching , Dr. Munson enjoys traveling with her family to warm destinations, playing pickleball, walking her dog, watching her kids’ sporting events, and paddleboarding .
Kathleen Nolta
Kathleen received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and she earned her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. While she trained as a classical biochemist, she has taught a wide variety of courses across the fields of biology and chemistry. Over the past two decades, she has been helping University of Michigan students appreciate the art of organic chemistry and the enormity of biochemistry.
Mary Orczykowski
Mary Orczykowski is a faculty member in Anatomical Sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School. She completed her undergraduate degrees in Biology and German at Oakland University in 2011 and her Ph.D. in Anatomy and Neurobiology at Boston University School of Medicine in 2017. At the University of Michigan, she has dedicated her time to guiding students (undergraduate, graduate, medical, and dental) in understanding and appreciating the inner workings of the human body. She has a special interest in training undergraduate teaching assistants to teach peers in the anatomy lab. She also enjoys creating colorful 3D models and illustrations to help demonstrate concepts and relationships in new ways. Outside of anatomy, she spends time in her Ann Arbor home with her family (husband, 2 cats, and hedgehog), exploring the natural world, building enclosures for rescued animals at the Creature Conservancy, training in aerial silks and sling, making friends with squirrels, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.
Emily Orlikoff
Emily Orlikoff is a PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. She completed her bachelor’s degrees in Animal & Nutritional Sciences and French at West Virginia University and her master’s degree in Anthropology at Colorado State University. As a biological anthropologist, Emily has taught a range of courses concentrating on human biology, anatomy, and evolution. Her research focuses on reconstructing locomotor behavior in our human ancestors through investigations of bone functional adaptation and modern ape behavioral diversity. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, baking treats (both dog and human), and watching old movies.
Erik Peterson
Erik Peterson is a supernova cosmologist holding a dual appointment, Assistant Professor of Physics and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, at the University of Michigan through the Michigan Society of Fellows. Peterson grew up in and around Tacoma, Washington, earned his B.S. in physics at the University of Notre Dame and his Ph.D. in physics at Duke University. For research, Peterson primarily focuses on studying (i) exploding stars (Type Ia supernovae) in the near-infrared rather than in the optical and (ii) the motions of galaxies specifically not due to the expansion of the Universe, called peculiar velocities. Peterson is a part of supernova-specific teams for both the upcoming Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and NASA’s next flagship mission, the Roman Space Telescope. Peterson has taught courses not only at Michigan (Waves, Heat, and Light), but also at Duke University (The Physics of Sports) and at Durham Technical Community College (Conceptual Physics).
Georg Raithel
Georg is a Professor in the Department of Physics. Georg received his Ph.D. at the University of Munich. In his research, he employs laser-cooled rubidium atoms to study matter waves in optical lattices and in other atom trapping devices, and to investigate interaction processes involving cold, very highly excited atoms (Rydberg atoms) and cold plasmas. In his spare time and vacations, Georg enjoys bicycling, skiing, camping and sailing with his family.
Doug Shaw
Vanessa Sih
Molly Simmonite
Molly Simmonite is a Research Investigator, working in both the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Michigan. Originally from the UK, Molly received her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Nottingham. In her research, Molly uses a variety of imaging methods to explore how brains change over the course of healthy aging, and how the brains of people with psychosis differ from individuals without psychosis. Molly is also a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, where she teaches undergraduate courses including research methods in cognitive neuroscience and an upper-level seminar on neurobiology and neurotransmission.
Adrienne Stanley
Adrienne Stanley is a full professor at the University of Northern Iowa. She received her PhD from the University of Kansas and then was a postdoc at Purdue University. She has spent a semester in Budapest, Hungary as a Fulbright scholar. She loves to teach using an inquiry based learning technique. When not in the classroom, Dr. Stanley collects games and logic puzzles. Every summer, she travels throughout Europe.
Martin Strauss
Martin is a Professor in the Departments of Mathematics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He received his A.B. degree from Columbia University and his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, both in mathematics. He previously held positions at Iowa State University and AT&T Labs-Research. His research interests include fundamental algorithms, especially randomized and approximation algorithms; algorithms for massive data sets; signal processing and computational harmonic analysis; computer security and cryptography; complexity theory. He has developed an activity for the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum. For the past few years, he has been leading the math club at a local elementary school, whose activities include competing in the Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools. In his spare time, he enjoys trail running.
Ben Torralva
Ben Torralva is a Lecturer in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Texas A&M University in 2001. He was a staff scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory before joining the Materials Science and Engineering and Climate and Space Science and Engineering departments at the University of Michigan in 2009. His research interests focus on developing models and theories that explain the unique response of matter to ultrashort laser pulses. Ultrashort pulses of laser light can alter the electron-ion energy landscape, leading to extreme states of disequilibrium. Subsequent materials responses include the observation of extreme ionic transport in the solid state and sub-wavelength periodic restructuring of atomic surfaces, among other phenomena.
Monica Valluri
Monica Valluri uses numerical calculations and simulations to probe observed galactic phenomena in order to understand the physical processes that produce them. Her current focus areas are dark objects whose presence we learn about via their gravitational effects on stars: supermassive black holes and dark matter halos. She has been working to develop sophisticated tools to use the motions stars close to the centers of galaxies to measure the masses of their supermassive black holes and to understand how these black holes affect the properties of their host galaxies. She has also been working on using the motions of millions of ancient stars in the Milky Way's halo to determine the properties of dark matter and compare the properties with those from large simulations of the universe.
Katie Waddle
Katie Waddle is completing her PhD at the University of Michigan in the spring of 2026. Her research is in algebraic combinatorics, and she often uses code to create small examples. Before returning to academia to study math she taught high school for eight years in San Francisco, CA. She runs a 700 person Discord server for researchers in combinatorics, teaches and volunteers at a local bike co-op, and loves to be in, on, and around water whenever possible.
Xian Zhang
Xian Zhang is a part-time lecturer in University of Michigan’s Statistics Department and is also a full-time software engineer in self-driving industry, building data and model solutions for ML-driven planning. Xian earned her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from UM-SJTU JI, where she enjoyed being a participant in the student advisor program. She earned an M.S in Computational Mechanics from Columbia and a Ph.D. in TAM (with a minor in Statistics) with a concentration on stochastic dynamics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her time there, she served as social chair, academic vice president, and lecturer in the graduate MechSE Society and engineering graduate student advisory committee. Her interests include optimization, stochastic dynamics, autonomous mobility, and general software management. Xian's objective as a lecturer is to introduce simple yet useful computational tools that are widely used in industry and to encourage students to pursue their highest ambitions and interests. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her cat Fay, reading, visiting museums and doing pilates.
