鈥淭he research I do has nothing to do with dance,鈥� says Scherich, the A.L. Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics and assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at Elon. 鈥淒ance is just the mechanism in which I communicate my research.鈥�

Scherich鈥檚 research focuses on topology, a branch of mathematics that studies flexible geometric shapes that remain preserved through deformation such as twisting, stretching or bending without opening holes, tearing or passing through themselves. More specifically, her research centers on knot theory, a field examining mathematical knots and braids.

Advanced mathematics requires years of foundational knowledge and technical language that can be difficult to explain to those outside the discipline. This challenge prompted Scherich to think creatively about how to share her work with broader audiences in an accessible way.

鈥淢athematics can be very abstract and uses a lot of specific jargon language,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淚t can be difficult to tell somebody about your work, because first you have to define years鈥� worth of math before you can even get started. I was looking for ways to explain what math is in a way where you do not necessarily understand the technicalities, but you can get a flavor for what we are studying.鈥�

Dance allows her to bypass that barrier, not by simplifying math but by translating it into a story with motion and emotion.

鈥淒ance is a really effective way to emotionally story-tell,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really think in terms of dialogue. I think in terms of movement.鈥�

Scherich鈥檚 work intentionally challenges stereotypes surrounding mathematics. Many of her videos feature female dancers and traditionally feminine aesthetics, in contrast to what has historically been a male-dominated field.

鈥淲hen you think of a ballet dancer, you think of a woman,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淲hen you think of a mathematician, you probably don鈥檛.鈥�

The intersection of dance and mathematics flows into her work with students. She collaborated with Sol Addison 鈥�25 and Lila Snodgrass 鈥�26 on research examining how dancers move across a stage over time to define a new knot invariant called the danceability index.

In the classroom, Scherich uses videos of her dances as part of a larger narrative. She might begin a lecture by introducing different branches of mathematics such as algebra, geometry and topology through movement, giving students a conceptual framework before diving into formal definitions. One of her recent pieces uses , a foundational result in knot theory. The videos do not replace traditional instruction but provide students with another way to grasp complex ideas.

Scherich鈥檚 path to mathematics was far from linear. Growing up in California, she left high school early to pursue performance opportunities and began college at 14, initially planning a future in performing arts. Encouraged by her father, a high school math teacher, she also enrolled in math courses as a backup plan.

I was looking for ways to explain what math is in a way where you do not necessarily understand the technicalities, but you can get a flavor for what we are studying.聽鈥� Nancy Scherich

She changed majors several times 鈥� performance, French, biochemistry, chemistry 鈥� before mathematics finally stuck. The turning point came during a calculus class when she learned how to calculate the volume of a three-dimensional shape created by rotating a two-dimensional object.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 think I just became a mathematician; this is so cool. I鈥檓 in,鈥欌�� Scherich says.

For years, Scherich kept dance and math separate. That changed during graduate school at the University of California, Santa Barbara when she learned about Science magazine鈥檚 鈥淒ance Your Ph.D.鈥� competition. Encouraged by a friend, she spent an entire summer creating a dance video inspired by her dissertation research. The project went on to win the competition.

鈥淚 feel like the video I created is probably my life鈥檚 masterpiece,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淪o much love and passion went into that dance video. Since then, every time I am doing research or learn a new piece of mathematics, or I鈥檓 having trouble explaining math to someone, I think 鈥楥an I make a dance about this?鈥欌��

While the approach is unconventional, Scherich says the response from the mathematics community has been overwhelmingly positive.

鈥淧eople will come up to me at conferences and say, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the math and dance girl, right?鈥欌�� Scherich says. “They appreciate that it鈥檚 making math accessible and fun.鈥�

The 2025-26 academic year also marked major milestones in Scherich鈥檚 career. She was named the A.L Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics and received a $125,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support her research and community building within Elon鈥檚 Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Through her work, Scherich continues to demonstrate that mathematics is not limited to formulas and symbols on a page. By combining movement, storytelling and research, she offers students and audiences a new way to see mathematics 鈥� as dynamic, creative and deeply human.

鈥淭he Last Lecture鈥� by Randy Pausch. We had our 鈥淰s. Cancer鈥� game this season and having a 7-year-old girl around our team who is going through a lot of tough times, it makes you reflect on something. So, when I found out about the book, I just wanted to read it. I wanted to see how I could personally look at that situation and how it would reflect on me.

What is your favorite phone app?

The onX Hunt app. In my spare time, which I don鈥檛 have much, I like to hunt. It鈥檚 an educational app that provides you with terrain, property boundaries and corridors on your property that might hold more deer than others.

If you could invite someone from history to dinner, who would it be?

Yogi Berra. I think just over time with all his funny quotes and how he kept the game fun, it would be an hour of constant laughs. His history with one-liners and the quotes he has are classic, so I think that would be an awesome night.

What is your favorite place on campus?

The first-base dugout. That鈥檚 where I have built most of my relationships here at Elon. I鈥檝e always said the best time for me is the 30 minutes after practice with three or four guys just sitting in that dugout chopping it up. Sometimes, I鈥檒l learn more in that dugout about our guys than I do anywhere else.

Nine hundred wins is an incredible milestone. When you think about your career at Elon, what are you proudest of? and what has kept you here all this time?

More than anything, the relationships I鈥檝e been able to build with former players. I love that at a time where there are a lot of departures in and around college athletics, we have so many former players that have built lifelong friendships and an incredible bond to Elon Baseball. I love that they reach out after a big win or a bad loss. I love that they follow the program and support current players. Truly, it鈥檚 an extension of family. This program is special! I love this campus and I鈥檝e been blessed to be around great people.

This summer, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Safia Swimelar teaches New York City: Living in the Global Community using the city as a microcosm to help students understand the diversity and complexity of global humanity. The course explores the meaning of NYC as a global city and how cultural, political and economic aspects of globalization are reflected and visualized there.

鈥淓ven though I teach political science, we鈥檙e talking about the globalization of hip-hop, food, 9/11, identity and culture,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭hey all fit the idea of New York as a global city.鈥�

Students spend Monday through Thursday interning in industries ranging from finance and marketing to communications and graphic design. On Fridays, everyone comes together for weekly seminars, encouraging students to connect their workplace experiences with broader discussions around globalization, identity and culture.

In true Elon fashion, learning extends beyond the classroom. 鈥淲e try to match the academic topic with some kind of hands-on experience, whether that鈥檚 a museum, a tour or meeting people in the community,鈥� Swimelar says. This summer鈥檚 experiential learning opportunities included a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a World Cup watch party, a Juneteenth celebration in Central Park, a performance of 鈥淩agtime鈥� on Broadway, the Pride Parade, a tour of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, an international food tour in Queens and a private tour of the New York Stock Exchange, to name a few.

At its core, the course is about helping students understand the world from a new perspective. 鈥淚 really want them to understand that the United States 鈥� and every city in it 鈥� is inherently connected to the rest of the world,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭he global is everywhere.鈥�

By the end of the summer, students bring home much more than academic knowledge and internship experience. Living in Brooklyn, navigating the subway and working full-time internships provide a realistic glimpse into life in one of the world鈥檚 largest cities.

鈥淔or many of them, this is the first time they feel like they鈥檙e actually living here instead of just visiting,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淲hen I read their journals each week, many are saying, 鈥業 think I really do want to move to New York.鈥欌��

Whether students pursue careers in business, the arts, communications, finance or public policy, Swimelar hopes they leave New York with a deeper appreciation for the people, cultures and ideas that shape communities both locally and globally.

福利亚洲国产精品 the Professor

Professor Safia Swimelar has taught political science and policy studies at Elon since 2008. Her teaching and research focus on international relations, human rights, European politics, global studies and film and politics. As a former Fulbright Scholar, Swimelar draws on her international experience to help students better understand global politics and contemporary issues.

Recommended Materials

• 鈥淭he Colossus of New York,鈥� by Colson Whitehead
• 鈥淗ip hop鈥檚 Enduring Echo: From New York鈥檚 Streets to Global Beats,鈥� The Elephant, 2023
• 鈥淎merica After 9/11,鈥� PBS Frontline documentary

Now, as a graduate, I can attest how those connections 鈥� first planted on the university鈥檚 campus 鈥� grow into strong bonds well beyond Elon鈥檚 brick pathways and oak trees. That is true of my connection to Dr. Anthony Hatcher.

Although I only took a few of Dr. Hatcher鈥檚 courses at Elon, our paths crossed countless times inside McEwen Communications Building. Every conversation included a kind word, encouragement and a quiet chuckle. But it was a senior-year trip to Hong Kong that revealed why so many students held him in such high regard.

Traveling with Dr. Hatcher and a cohort of classmates for an Imagining the Internet project, I truly understood what great teaching looks like. Dr. Hatcher let us students take the wheel and learn by doing, producing the interviews, choosing our story angles and cutting the video. By knowing when to offer guidance and when to step back, he let his students discover how to do journalism.

But it was in the 鈥渂etween鈥� moments 鈥� a shared meal at the top of Victoria Peak, wandering the chaotic shopping markets and navigating the busy streets 鈥� that made the trip special, where I and my classmates could share stories with him, listen to the advice of a seasoned journalist and just talk about our hopes and dreams upon graduating. They say that travel often brings out the best or worst in a person, and I can say unequivocally, Dr. Hatcher shared the best of himself with us. We successfully completed that trip, bonded by adventure and nearly 24 hours of straight travel.

I鈥檓 happy to say that connection is still present today, whether through emails exchanged or virtual coffee chats. And while Dr. Hatcher鈥檚 time at Elon may be ending, his impact on students and alumni like me will live on long after departing campus.

An Emmy Award-winning communications leader, Addie Haney 鈥�14 has built her career around storytelling and audience engagement. Earlier this year, she joined CNN Newsource as a content producer.

Raised in rural North Carolina, 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 associate vice president for student life and dean of student health and well-being came from a family that valued education but had little firsthand experience with higher education.

Her parents, whose lives were shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, never attended college. The first person who helped Patterson imagine a different future was her first-grade teacher. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone had ever told me I was smart,鈥� Patterson recalls.

Once she arrived at North Carolina State University, Patterson discovered how much she didn鈥檛 know. There was no roadmap for managing finances, selecting courses or understanding that struggling academically at times was normal, a lesson that has stayed with her.

Patterson has since worked to ensure Elon students receive the guidance and reassurance she often lacked. Yet grades and academics were only part of the story.

Patterson remembers a time when being a first-generation student felt like something to hide. Students rarely talked about parents who had not attended college, and many worried they would be judged for backgrounds that fell outside the perceived norm.

鈥淲hile my immediate family and teachers were proud of me, there were other members of my extended family who said they don鈥檛 see why I didn鈥檛 just go in the military,鈥� Patterson says. 鈥淥thers were like, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you just get married and settle down?鈥欌��

Today, she describes first-generation status not as a disadvantage but as an identity worthy of celebration. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a status,鈥� she鈥檒l tell you. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an identity.鈥�

That commitment to inclusive excellence became a hallmark of her work. For Patterson, who retires in September following four decades of faithful service to 福利亚洲国产精品, supporting students has always been about more than helping them succeed in college. It has been about helping them believe they belong.

鈥淥ne of the things I am most proud of with my work is that we have moved how we think and talk about first-generation students,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aking connections with others that embrace both shared and differing identities provides so much joy and interest to your life.鈥�

Jana Lynn Patterson is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence highlighting the people, paradigms and praxis of inclusive excellence that shape 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 community. Learn more on the聽Inclusive Excellence website.

Executive Director of the Core Curriculum and Associate Professor of Music and Education Matt Buckmaster was invited to join a panel to share insights on general education assessment using the AAC&U VALUE rubrics.

Part of AAC&U’s VALUE Week webinar series, the panel was titled “Doing the Work: How Institutions Are Using VALUE Rubrics to Understand Student Learning.”聽 Buckmaster shared Elon’s process and design to student learning assessment in the Core Curriculum, including the successes and challenges encountered in the process.

Elon’s emphasis on engaged learning and student-centered curriculum led to very positive outcomes, and areas for continued improvement were able to be identified as well. The investment Elon has made in assessment in the Core Curriculum will inform faculty development opportunities, course and assignment design resources, and potentially future curriculum revisions.

福利亚洲国产精品 is a member of the .

Marna Winter,聽teaching聽professor of education and associate director of 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL), will present two聽projects聽exploring student reflection, joy and engagement at the (SoTL) Summit, held聽virtually Sept.聽16-18.

The conference brings together educators from colleges and聽universities聽across the United States and internationally to share聽SoTL聽research and approaches to teaching.聽Since its beginning in 1993, the summit has developed into a space for both experienced and emerging teacher-scholars to exchange research across disciplines and explore聽new approaches聽to student learning.
In 鈥淲hen Students Wonder, Instructors Learn: Building a Metacognitive Feedback Loop,鈥� Winter will present聽alongside聽聽professor聽of psychology and聽director of聽SoTL聽at the United States Air Force Academy.

Their work grew from the 鈥淚 Wonder鈥� project,聽an activity聽originally used聽by聽Winter聽at the end of a semester to encourage students to reflect on lingering questions about their learning. Winter found that聽those reflections could also reveal misconceptions, gaps in understanding and areas of curiosity that could inform teaching.聽After presenting initial work at the 2025聽SoTL聽Summit, Winter connected with Scharff, leading to a contribution to the聽聽blog and ongoing collaboration.聽At the summit, Winter and Scharff will share new findings聽and introduce a metacognitive instructional cycle for using student reflection to inform pedagogical decisions.

Winter鈥檚 second presentation, 鈥淔rom Play to Pedagogy: Reflective Inquiry into Joy and Student Engagement,鈥� explores how聽brief, intentional 鈥渕ini play sessions鈥� at the beginning of class can help students pause,聽connect聽and transition into learning.聽Drawing on student reflections and survey data, Winter鈥檚 ongoing聽SoTL聽inquiry considers how small moments of play can foster curiosity, focus and engagement, positioning joy not as an addition to learning but as part of creating the conditions for meaningful learning.

Together,聽Winter鈥檚聽two presentations reflect a broader focus聽on聽her聽active聽scholarship on creating learning environments that are responsive to students and attentive to how they experience the classroom.

For Winter, presenting at the聽SoTL聽Summit offers an opportunity not only to share what she has learned through her own teaching,聽but also to continue developing that work through conversation with educators examining聽similar questions聽about student learning and engagement.

This August,聽福利亚洲国产精品 hosted university and college educators from across the region and around the world for the聽22nd Annual Teaching and Learning Conference. A free, hybrid event sponsored jointly by the聽Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (颁础罢尝),听Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT), and the Office of the Provost.

Nearly 70聽educators attended the conference on Elon鈥檚 campus, including faculty from Queens University of Charlotte,聽providing an opportunity for educators聽to connect and exchange ideas. Hundreds more聽participated聽virtually from聽institutions across the country and beyond.

Rather than simply streaming the in-person conference, the fully hybrid format offered distinct programming for virtual and on-campus participants throughout the day. The two groups came together聽virtually for聽the聽conference鈥檚聽keynote, while other sessions were designed specifically for each mode of participation.

This year’s conference, themed “Teaching for Tomorrow: Building Transferable Skills and Lifelong Learners,” encouraged attendees to reflect on how today’s teaching practices shape students’ abilities to adapt, think critically and thrive in the future.聽Presentation submissions聽addressed聽one of聽four related sub-themes: Technology and the Future of Learning, Foundations for the Future, Building Transferable Skills for Tomorrow, and Teaching Innovations.

The聽keynote聽address聽was given聽by聽director for curriculum transformation initiatives at聽,聽titled “Boldness by Design: Reimagining our University from the Classroom Out.” McGowan聽shared聽how universities might move from preserving tradition to designing new models, structures, and pathways toward the learning outcomes they聽seek聽for students, drawing on her experience leading institution-wide educational transformation initiatives.

Following the keynote, McGowan and Jill McSweeney, assistant director of CATL, led an in-person workshop for on-campus attendees, “Envisioning Structures of the Possible,” which invited participants to imagine a new, fully experiential core curriculum requirement for the year 2032. The workshop asked educators to consider experiential learning as a holistic, emergent and relational response to the complexities of higher education today.

Throughout the day, presenters shared research, practices, and teaching strategies aligned with the conference鈥檚 themes, creating opportunities for both virtual and in-person participants to connect with colleagues and exchange ideas about the future of teaching and learning.

The Teaching and Learning Conference is held annually at Elon and聽remains聽free for registrants.聽Information about the 2026 conference schedule, past conferences and future calls for proposals is available on the CATL and TLT websites.

Assistant Professor of Teaching Claudine Moreau recently led the Physics & Astro Tea audience in a creative writing exercise based on an image of the Butterfly Nebula and the prompt, “The object is not [blank]; it is [blank]”.

This is one of several prompts and techniques Moreau used while writing “Life After the Eruption,: a collection of poetry inspired by her sabbatical travels to Scotland and Iceland. In this collection, she explores how the self can regrow after its own eruptions using rocks and the cosmos to think about rebuilding.

Hosted weekly by the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Physics & Astro Tea promises engaging discussions, thought-provoking ideas and a delightful spread of refreshments. Open to all students, faculty and staff, this gathering is the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow physics aficionados in a relaxed and informal setting. Meetings take place in the third-floor lounge of Innovation Hall at 3:20 p.m. on Wednesdays.

As an assistant director for the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education, Gutierrez-Luviano manages El Centro, a space that promotes celebration, collaboration, dialogue and research to support advocacy, cultural appreciation and academic achievement related to Latin American cultures and the Spanish language.

鈥淚 want to help build belonging at Elon by proactively engaging with our students’ voices to understand their needs and create inclusive spaces where they can feel supported,鈥� she said.

Gutierrez-Luviano achieves this each day by supervising and mentoring students, organizing programming and events and developing educational workshops. Outside of her professional role, Gutierrez-Luviano participates in the Latinx/Hispanic Employee Resource Group, which she says is an important program at Elon that supports her cultural identity as she navigates her professional role.

A first-generation Mexican-American, Gutierrez-Luviano鈥檚 parents moved from Michoac谩n, Mexico, to Wilson, North Carolina, where she was born and raised. She remembers regularly going to a Hispanic flea market growing up, where her parents allowed her and her siblings to buy one item during most visits. Gutierrez-Luviano would often pick a snack like raspado (shaved ice), nieve de coco or fresh cut fruit with tajin and Chamoy while navigating vendors with the backdrop of loud music coming from each stand.

She attended Barton College in her hometown for her undergraduate degrees in business administration and Spanish and earned a master鈥檚 at the University of Georgia in college student affairs administration.

鈥淎s a first-generation Mexican-American, there were times throughout my undergraduate experience where I did not know what questions to ask, or what I should be doing to be successful,鈥� said Gutierrez-Luvianos, highlighting why she values playing a mentoring role for students.

鈥淚 had wonderful mentors who saw potential in me and guided me in the right direction,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 want to serve my students in that same way, especially if we may share similar cultural experiences because it adds a layer of connection.鈥�

Gutierrez-Luviano said her mentorship begins with curiosity 鈥� understanding where students want to be in the future, what worries them and ways to build confidence. 鈥淚 see potential in my students and guide them in the right direction by listening to their hopes, their goals, and their worries,鈥� she shared.

Hispanic Heritage Month, she said, 鈥渉onors our contributions, while inviting everyone to immerse themselves into our culture, and traditions that keep our community strong.鈥�

Elon honors Hispanic Heritage Month

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, 福利亚洲国产精品 is sharing stories that celebrate the contributions, identities and experiences of students, faculty and staff. This month recognizes the rich histories and cultures of Hispanic and Latinx communities, while also honoring the ways these traditions connect with and inspire people of all backgrounds. This month provides a special opportunity to honor Hispanic and Latinx heritage, but it also serves as an invitation for all members of the university to engage, learn and celebrate together.