SANDRA  SPIROFF

Seattle University
Department of Mathematics
901 12^th Avenue
P.O. Box 222000
Seattle, WA  98122
 

Contact Information

Office:  Bannan, Room 419
Telephone: (206) 296-5575
FAX: (206) 296-5932
e-mail:  spiroffs@seattleu.edu
 

General Information

I am an Assistant Professor at Seattle University.  Previously I held the position of  VIGRE postdoctoral Assistant Professor/Lecturer at the University of Utah, where I worked with Paul Roberts.  I earned my Ph.D. at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign under the direction of Phillip Griffith.  My area of interest is Commutative Algebra.  In particular, I study the behavior of maps on divisor class groups and Chow groups determined by hypersurface sections.  I seek to understand and locate the pathology of these maps.

Below I have provided details on my research, teaching experience, and professional activities. For a summary of this information, please refer to my vita.
 

Research

As mentioned above, I work in the area of Commutative Algebra, with specialization in the topics of divisor class groups and Chow groups. I also study the growth of ideals and zero divisor graphs. For detailed information on my research interests, please see my research statement, which is available in .pdf format.  My preprints are also available.

• "Local hypersurfaces with isolated singularities", with F. Moore, G. Piepmeyer, and M. Walker, in preparation.
• "Injectivity of the restriction map on divisor class groups", with S. Sather-Wagstaff, in preparation.
• "Identifying properties of a ring from its zero divisor graph", with C. Wickham, submitted.
• "An algebraic proof of the commutativity of intersection with divisors, with P. Roberts, J. Algebra, to appear; .pdf
• "Divisor class groups of graded hypersurfaces", with A. Singh, Contemp. Math, 448 (2007) 237-243; .pdf
• "Asymptotic growth of powers of ideals", with C. Ciuperca and F. Enescu, Illinois J. Math, 51, no. 1 (2007) 29-39; .pdf
• "Restriction of divisor classes to hypersurfaces in characteristic p", with Phillip Griffith, J. Algebra, 275 (2004) 801-814; .ps ,  .pdf , and  .dvi
• "The limiting behavior on the restriction of divisor classes to hypersurfaces", J. Pure Appl. Alg., 186 (2004) 77-89;  .ps ,  .pdf , and  .dvi

Teaching

• Math 118 (Fall 2007)
• Math 135 & 233 (Winter 2008)
• Math 134 (Spring 2008)

I have long been interested in the teaching of mathematics.  As a former high school teacher and teaching assistant, I have taught a variety of courses, using several different instructional methods.  This past summer, as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I team taught an Algebra course for incoming graduate students based on a publication in Communications in Algebra. At Seattle University and the University of Utah, I used the WeBWorK homework system. As a graduate student at the University of Illinois, I worked as a Research Assistant, in the area of secondary mathematics teacher education, with Professors Susan Tolman and John Sullivan .  Their project, a cooperation between the Mathematics and Education departments at the University and Danville High School, seeks to improve teacher preparation.  At the University of Utah, I was an active participant in the Math Circle program for high school students, directed by Peter Trapa.  Moreover, I have worked with REU students through the VIGRE grant.  My course experience is listed in the table below.  For more on my teaching experience and philosophy, my statement is available in .pdf format.  For a brief summary of my educational experience, see my teaching vita.

 

COURSE(S)	LEVELS TAUGHT	INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD
Calculus I, II, Bus. Calc.	College & High School	Calculus and Mathematica ,  Merit Workshop , Active Learning, Lecture
College & Intermediate Algebra	College	Active Learning/Lecture/Discussion
Geometry, Algebra, Basic Math	High School	Lecture/Active Learning

Professional Activities

• Reviewer: Zentralblatt MATH
• Webmaster: Seattle University Mathematics Department
• Conference Organizer:  Commutative Algebra Conference honoring Phil Griffith
• Conference Organizer:  Homological Conjectures in Commutative Algebra
• Vice President of the Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at the University of Utah
• Organizer of the Commutative Algebra Seminar at the University of Utah

Education 

The table below provides an overview of my academic history.  For more detailed information about my education and teaching experience, please refer to my vita, available in .pdf format.
 

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Ph.D. Mathematics, 2003
Saint Louis University	M.A. Mathematics, 1996
Indiana University	B.S. Mathematics, 1991