Last updated on June 10, 2025.

Contact me at mmasden@pugetsound.edu

Contents

  1. Education
  2. Research (See Research Page)
  3. Teaching (See Teaching Page)
  4. Talks
  5. Honors, Awards and Fellowships
  6. Leadership and Service
  7. Outreach

Education

Ph.D., Mathematics (Applied Topology). June 2023.

B.S., Mathematics and B.S., Chemistry June 2015.

  • Honors General Studies
  • WA State Teaching Certification Program

Walla Walla Unviersity, College Place, WA.

Research

See my Resesarch Page

Teaching

See my Teaching Page

Talks

Research Talks

  • Analyzing the Geometric Topology of Artificial (ReLU) Neural Networks. August 2025.
  • Sign Sequence Combinatorics for Topological Measures of ReLU neural networks. Tropical Math and Machine Learning Seminar. March 2025.
  • Betti numbers of binary and multiclass decision regions of ReLU neural networks. Invited to speak at JMM 2025 AMS Special Session on Geometric and Combinatorial Methods in Deep Learning Theory. January 2025.
  • Critical points of ReLU neural networks: Analytics and Empirics. Invited to speak at JMM 2025 AMS Special Session on Special Session on Topological, Algebraic, and Geometric Methods for Safe, Robust, and Explainable Machine Learning, II. January 2025.
  • Topology of ReLU Neural Networks’ Decision Boundaries. Invited to speak at Data Analysis, Machine Learning and AI (DAMLAI) session in GEOTOP-A International Conference, Mérida, Mexico, January 2024.
  • Level set topology for piecewise linear functions: From ReLU neural networks to more general polyhedral domains. Invited to speak at JMM 2024 Special Session on Applied Topology Beyond Persistence Diagrams.
  • Tracking Topological Properties of Neural Networks as they Train. Invited to speak at Spring Topology and Dynamical Systems Conference (STDC), March 2023.
  • Topological properties of ReLU network functions, at initialization and during training. Invited to speak at JMM 2023 Special Session Mathematical Methods in Machine Learning and Optimization.
  • Precise computation of cellular topology of neural network functions. Invited to speak at JMM 2023 Special Session Applied Topology: Theory and Implementation.
  • Geometric Duality, Neural Networks, and Decision Boundaries. Invited to speak at Cascade Topology Seminar, Portland State University, November 2022.
  • Exact Combinatorial and Topological Data for ReLU Networks’ Linear Regions. Northeastern University Topology Seminar, May 2022.
  • Persistent Homology for Machine Learning in Microstructure Analysis. NSF Math Sciences Graduate Internship 2021 Sum- mer Presentations, Summer 2021.
  • Neural Networks at Initialization. Boston College Math and Machine Learning Seminar, Boston College, Fall 2020.

Expository Talks and Posters

  • Neural Networks, Hyperplane Arrangements, and Topology
    • October 2024: Seattle U Math Colloquium
    • February 2025: UW Tacoma Senior Seminar
  • Piecewise Linear Morse theory: An overview. Geometry-Topology Seminar, Oregon State University, Fall 2021.
  • Understanding ReLU Activation Patterns through the Sign Sequence Cubical Complex. Poster at Applied Algebraic Topol- ogy Network Poster Session, Fall 2021.
  • Using Persistence Signatures in Machine Learning. Geometry-Topology Seminar, Oregon State University, Spring 2020.
  • Understanding Neural Networks through Geometry. 1st Midwest Graduate Student Conference: Geometry and Topology Meet Data Analysis and Machine Learning, The Ohio State University, 2019

Honors, Awards and Fellowships

While at the University of Puget Sound (2024-Present).

  • 2025 MOST (Mathematics Outreach Seminar and Training) Fellow
  • Lind-Van Enkevort Award, 24-25
  • MAA Project NExT Fellow (Blue ‘24)

While at the University of Oregon

  • NSF Research Training Grant, UO Mathematics Department
  • Johnson Fellowship, UO Mathematics Department
  • Dean’s First Year Merit Award, UO Mathematics Department

Outreach and Service

MAA MathFest 2025 Co-organized Special Session, Data Science Examples for Enriching Introductory Math Courses.

Association for Women in Mathematics, UO Student Chapter

  • President, AY 2020-2021 and 2022-2023
  • Secretary, AY 2019-2020

UO AWM K-12 Outreach Committee member 2018-2023; co-chair 2019-2023.

  • Girls’ Science Adventure Days, Eugene Science Center, with Women in Graduate Sciences (WiGS). Co-designed and ledMath Games (2023) and Mathemagic and Maps (2022), two three-hour enrichment programs for 10-15 girls in grades 4-6.
  • Eugene Math Festival (2023). Independently developed two activity booths, Math Doodling and Mystery Shadows.
  • Willagillespie Math and Science Night (2023). Selected activities and coordinated volunteers for three math-focused activity booths at a local elementary school’s math and science night. Directed Reading Program Mentor, University of Oregon Mathematics Department AY 2021-2022

American Mathematical Society, UO Student Chapter

  • Departmental Liaison (elected position), 2021-2022 Graduate Affairs Committee, UO Mathematics Department
  • Graduate student representative (nominated position), 2018-2020
  • Graduate Student Peer Mentor, 2019-2023

Graduate Student Mathematics Teaching Seminar, UO Mathematics Department

  • Co-organizer, 2019-2023