HMC Expert: Dagan Karp

Dagan Karp, PhD, focuses his research on algebraic geometry and Gromov-Witten theory.

Gromov-Witten theory is an interdisciplinary subject, intersecting algebraic geometry, theoretical physics and string theory. His recent students Paul Riggins and Dhruv Ranganathan were among the first undergraduates to conduct research in this area; their work has been accepted for publication in Advances in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics. Karp has supervised seven students since arriving at Harvey Mudd, in areas such as Gromov-Witten theory, tropical geometry, classical algebraic geometry, commutative algebra and representation theory.

Karp has a passion for civil rights, including gender equity, and is active in promoting diversity in and through mathematics.He was recently appointed to a diversity committee of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), one of eight mathematical science institutes funded by the National Science Foundation. The committee strives to further mathematical research, support math education and promote greater participation and diversity within the math profession.

In 2009, Karp launched Harvey Mudd’s first Seminar on Underrepresentation in the Mathematical Sciences (SUMS). He helped organize the 2011 HMC Mathematical Conference, which focused on broadening participation in the mathematical sciences. He is also a founding editor of the E-Mentoring Network in the Mathematical Sciences blog hosted by the American Mathematical Society, providing mentorship to underrepresented students and faculty in mathematics.

Karp is an active member of the Society for Advancement of Chicano and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), both nationally, as a member of the SACNAS Math Task Force and locally, as the faculty sponsor of the Claremont SACNAS chapter.

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