Erin Meger
Experience
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
September 2020 - Present
Jointly with Université du Québec à Montréal and Loyola University Chicago, I work as part of the Computational Biology and Evolution Lab under the supervision of Dr. Vladimir Reinharz. My research primarily focuses on modelling complex networks with biological applications including the structural representations of RNA. This position is research only.
Initiator: Women in Combinatorics
June 2019 - Present
The Women in Combinatorics network, WinCom, is intended as a platform for any Combinatorialist who identifies as a woman and would like to connect with other women for various professional reasons and concerns. A database spreadsheet is available for the public to view as a place to search for women collaborators, keynotes, and mentors to encourage the diversification of our research networks.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
February 2020 - August 2020
At Mount Allison University, I am working with Dr. Margaret-Ellen Messinger on Cops and Robbers style problems, including eternal domination and chip firing. This postdoc is research only and remote.
Research Assistant
May 2018 - February 2020
With the Ryerson Learning and Teaching Office, I am researching the ways Ryerson Instructors have brought openness to their teaching practice. The idea of openness goes beyond Open Educational Resources (such as open textbooks or online material), but extends with the goal of reducing all barriers to education. The stories we have compiled from current instructors display the use and benefits of a variety of open practices that go beyond simply helping students save money. By researching the current use of openness, we hope to encourage and inspire other instructors to adopt some of these teaching practices.
Supervisor: Directed Research Project
Spring 2019
The Directed Research Project course is the undergraduate thesis course through the Computer Science Department at Laurier. My student researched hybrid cryptosystems through a detailed and extensive literature review. This was my students first research experience, and I set detailed expectations, and encouraged new research. After the literature review, we began work on integrating a new method of a hybrid model.
Instructor: Linux
Winter 2019
This course provided students with practical and theoretical knowledge of Unix and how to write programs at the system call level. We explored the theory of system programming using practical contexts and detailed explanations. Through class lectures, students were exposed to the theory, and had an opportunity to work through examples as a class. The lab component of the course assisted students with key skills from each week of lecture.Â
The course description was updated recently, and I had an opportunity to update the course material, notes, and assessments.
Instructor: Essential Skills for Math
Fall 2018
This course was designed to prepare students for higher level mathematics courses such as Calculus for Science, through a review of pre-university mathematics skills and discussion of learning strategies. Instructors will also motivate the subject matter through discussions about the importance of math in science and the use of relevant application problems.
I worked very closely with the course coordinator to design the curriculum, create assessments, and monitor the progression of this new course. I have 15 years of experience as a private tutor specializing in learning disabilities and math anxiety as well as three years as a high school math teacher with again the same focus. These experiences helped guide the design and execution of the course.
Teaching Assistant
January 2012 - July 2019
Over the years, I have been a teaching assistant at the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Ryerson University. I have taught a variety of courses from statistics to multi-variable calculus and from real analysis to graph theory. This experience has involved creating lectures or tutorial materials, assisting in generating assessments, and most importantly working with students in small groups. My TA experience has taught me how to incorporate active learning into my teaching which was an invaluable asset when teaching Essential Skills ing 2018.
Professor's Assistant
February 2018
In 2018, I traveled to AIMS Cameroon with my Supervisor, Dr. Anthony Bonato, where we taught Modelling and Searching Networks to Graduate Mathematical Science Students. Dr. Bonato brought an exciting twist to a theory based math lecture by encouraging students to work through each proof in small groups. During these experiential learning components, I had an opportunity to work with the students every lecture.
Education
Ryerson University, 2020
PhD Mathematics
Supervisor: Dr. Anthony Bonato
Thesis: Iterated Local Model
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Awards:
YSGS Leadership Award in Community Engagement and City Building
Ryerson Graduate Scholarship
Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Mathematics Graduate Award
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Ryerson University, 2016
MSc Applied Mathematics
Supervisor: Dr. Anthony Bonato
Thesis: Cops, Robbers, and Barricades
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Awards:
QEII Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology
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Wilfrid Laurier University, 2014
BSc Mathematics
Supervisor: Dr. Angele Hamel
Thesis: The Graph of the Alternating Sign Matrix Polytope
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Awards:
Women in Science Travel Grant
Laurier In-Course Scholarship
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