Josh Barnard

Research Interests

Education

• Ph.D., Mathematics, 2004 - University of California, Santa Barbara, Mathematics
        Thesis: Ends of word-hyperbolic 3-manifolds
        Advisor: Daryl Cooper
• M.A., Mathematics, 1999 - University of Alabama, Mathematics
• B.S., Mathematics, 1997 - University of Alabama, Mathematics

Employment

• Assistant Professor, University of South Alabama (8/2007-present)
  
• Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma (2004-2007)
  
• Teaching Assistant/Associate, University of California, Santa Barbara (1999-2004)
  
• Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Alabama (1998-1999)

Publications and Preprints

• Bounding surface actions on hyperbolic spaces, (submitted 7/2009)
• Super-exponential 2-dimensional Dehn functions, (submitted 5/09; updated 10/09)
  (with Noel Brady and Pallavi Dani)
• Super-exponential distortion of subgroups of CAT(-1) groups, Algebraic & Geometric Topology, 7 (2007), 301-308.
  (with Noel Brady and Pallavi Dani)
• Distortion of surface groups in CAT(0) free-by-cyclic groups, Geometriae Dedicata, 120 (2006), no. 1, 119-139.
  (with Noel Brady)
• Ends of word-hyperbolic three-manifolds, PhD thesis (2004)
• A loop theorem/Dehn's lemma for (some) orbifolds, preprint (2001)

Awards

• Arts and Sciences Support and Development Award, University of South Alabama (2008)
      Colloquium and Seminar Series in Geometric Group Theory
• Department of Mathematics Teaching Award, University of California, Santa Barbara (Spring 2003)
• Raymond L. Wilder Award, Department of Mathematics, University of California, Santa Barbara (Spring 2000)
      Awarded for outstanding achievement as a first-year graduate student.
• Fee fellowship, University of California, Santa Barbara (2000-2001)
• Graduate Council Fellowship and Presidential Supplement, University of Alabama (1997-1998)
      Awarded to the most highly qualified newly admitted graduate students.

Invited Talks & Conferences

• "Super-exponential second-order Dehn functions"
  
  • International Conference on Geometric & Combinatorial Methods in Group Theory & Semigroup Theory, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Spring 2009)
  • AMS Sectional Meeting, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Spring 2008)
  • Topology Seminar, University of California, Santa Barbara (Spring 2006)
• "Distortion of surface groups in CAT(0) free-by-cyclic groups"
  
  • 2nd William Rowan Hamilton Geometry and Topology Workshop, Dublin, Ireland (Fall 2006)
  • Spring Lecture Series (Martin Bridson, principal speaker), University of Arkansas (Spring 2006)
  • First Arkansas-Oklahoma Workshop in Topology and Geometry, Fayetteville, Arkansas (Spring 2005)
  • AMS Sectional Meeting, Santa Barbara, California (Spring 2005)
• "Geometric tameness in three-manifolds with word-hyperbolic fundamental group"
  
  • AMS Sectional Meeting, Evanston, Illinois (Fall 2004)
  • AMS Sectional Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee (Fall 2004)
• "Ends of word-hyperbolic three-manifolds"
  
  • Geometry and Topology Seminar, University of Southern California (Winter 2004)
  • Geometry and Topology Seminar, California Institute of Technology (Winter 2004)
• Participant in Workshops
  
  • Workshop on Groups and 3-Manifolds, Montreal, Canada (Summer 2001)
  • Geometric and Topological Aspects of Group Theory, MSRI (Summer 2000)
• Various Departmental Talks, University of South Alabama
      Topology & Group Theory Seminar
• Various Departmental Talks, University of Oklahoma
      Geometry and Topology Seminar, Geometric Group Theory Seminar, Graduate Seminar
• Various Departmental Talks, University of California, Santa Barbara
      Topology Seminar, Graduate Topology Seminar, Graduate Seminar

Teaching Experience

• Instructor: Prepared lectures; wrote and graded exams, quizzes and homework; handled all administrative duties. Classes range in size from 2 to 200 students.
  • Geometric Group Theory (special topics), University of South Alabama (Fall 2009)
  • Advanced Calculus I, University of South Alabama (Fall 2009, Fall 2007)
  • Calculus III, University of South Alabama (Fall 2009, Summer 2008, Spring 2008)
  • Calculus II, University of South Alabama (Summer 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2007)
  • Topology II, University of South Alabama (Spring 2009)
  • Topology I, University of South Alabama (Fall 2008)
  • Calculus I, University of South Alabama (Fall 2008, Summer 2008)
  • Contemporary Mathematics and Statistics Seminar, University of South Alabama (Fall 2008, Spring 2008)
  • Advanced Calculus II, University of South Alabama (Spring 2008)
  • Linear Algebra I, University of Oklahoma (Summer 2007, Spring 2007, Summer 2006, Spring 2005, Fall 2004)
  • Calculus and Analytic Geometry III, University of Oklahoma (Fall 2006, Fall 2005, Summer 2005)
  • Calculus and Analytic Geometry IV, University of Oklahoma (Spring 2006, Fall 2005)
  • Calculus and Analytic Geometry I, University of Oklahoma (Fall 2004)
  • Differential Equations and Linear Algebra I, University of California, Santa Barbara (Spring 2003)
  • Vector Calculus with Applications I, University of California, Santa Barbara (Summer 2002)
  • Differential Equations and Linear Algebra II, University of California, Santa Barbara (Summer 2001)
  • Calculus with Applications II, University of California, Santa Barbara (Winter 2001, Summer 2000)
  • Precalculus Algebra, University of Alabama (Spring 1999)
  • Intermediate Algebra, University of Alabama (Fall 1998)
• Teaching Assistant, (7 quarters) University of California, Santa Barbara (1999-2002)
  Led weekly discussion sections; assisted the instructor in grading quizzes and exams.
• Achievement Program Assistant, University of California, Santa Barbara (Fall 2000)
  Ran a small workshop group in a program run by the California Alliance for Minority Participation as an effort to increase the success of under-represented students in science, engineering, and mathematics at UCSB.
• STEP Instructor, University of California, Santa Barbara (Summer 2000)
  As part of the Summer Transitional Enrichment Program, taught a two-week introductory precalculus class to incoming freshmen, offered by the Educational Opportunity Program and focusing on low-income and first-generation undergraduates.

Professional Development

• Committees:
      Student Affairs (2009-10 (chair), 2008-09, 2007-08)
      Computer (2009-10)
      Hiring (2008)
• Co-organizer, Geometric Groups on the Gulf, an annual conference (since 1998) on geometric group theory held in the gulf coast region, regularly attracting speakers and attendees from all over the country (2010, 2009, 2008)
• Co-organizer and grader for OU Math Day, a recruitment drive to attract local high-school students. The students compete in written tests and in the Sooner Math Bowl, with prizes for several events. Assisted as a grader in 2004 and 2005; as part of the Math Day Committee, helped organize Math Day and hosted the Sooner Math Bowl in 2006.
• Expository talks:
      "Sudoku déjà vu," Math Circle, University of South Alabama (Fall 2008)
      "Counting sudoku grids," OU Math Club, University of Oklahoma (Fall 2006)
      "The figure-8 knot," Graduate Student Seminar, University of Oklahoma (Spring 2005)
      "Indra's Pearls," Graduate Student Seminar, University of California, Santa Barbara (Spring 2004)
      "The figure-8 knot," Graduate Student Seminar, University of California, Santa Barbara (Fall 2003)
• Co-organizer, Graduate Student Topology Seminar, University of California, Santa Barbara (2001-2004)
• Member MAA (2004-present)
• Member AMS (1999-present)

References

• Available upon request