About me

I’m a mathematics PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh. Broadly speaking, I’m interested in the relationships between algebra, category theory, geometry, and topology. I’m a proud first-generation college graduate, and my goal is to become a mathematics professor in the future. This year, I’m supported by the K. Leroy Irvis Fellowship.

Before coming to Pitt, I double majored in mathematics on the intensive track and ethnic studies at Yale. My research focused on group-theoretic and categorical aspects of racks and quandles, which are nonassociative algebraic structures used to construct knot invariants and pointed Hopf algebras. For more information, please refer to my CV.

I also love teaching mathematics and served for three years as a teaching assistant in Yale’s math department. Accessibility, equity, and inclusivity form the center of my teaching ethos; I aim to foster welcoming and safe environments for mathematical exploration as a creative, communal, and human endeavor. Coupled with my research interests, the transformative power of mathematics in the hands of marginalized communities like my own forms a central part of my professional motivations.

Outside of mathematics, I’m a hobbyist composer specializing in contemporary chamber music with a side interest in orchestral music for games. I’m more than happy to supply scores, parts, and arrangements to interested musicians for a small price; please reach out via email at luc (dot) ta (at) aya (dot) yale (dot) edu.

Giving a beginner-friendly presentation at Yale about knot theory and my REU research