Ellen Eischen

Ellen Eischen is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oregon in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently on leave until fall 2025 while serving as a von Neumann Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study (2024-2025). She serves on the editorial boards of Essential Number Theory and Research in Number Theory.

Dr. Eischen earned her PhD in Mathematics from the University of Michigan in 2009 with a dissertation titled "p-adic Differential Operators on Automorphic Forms and Applications" advised by Christopher Skinner and Nicholas Ramsey. Her educational background includes substantial training in improvisational theater, which has significantly influenced her professional development.

Her primary research focuses on automorphic forms and L-functions, with particular emphasis on algebraic, p-adic, and geometric aspects of number theory. She approaches her research with a collaborative spirit, noting that number theory "relies on many flavors of math." Beyond traditional research, she is deeply committed to mathematical creativity and public engagement, having created the "Creativity Counts" exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and serving on the Advisory Board of the Seattle Universal Math Museum since 2021. She has developed innovative teaching methods through improvisational theater techniques, documented in publications like "Improv-ing a Mathematician's Professional Skills" and "Seeds for Building Community" with C. Hsu.

Dr. Eischen's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on advancing the theory of automorphic forms and L-functions, with recent work extending to mathematical creativity and educational innovation. Her publications span technical mathematical research in number theory to articles exploring the creative process in mathematics and improvisational techniques for teaching, reflecting her dual commitment to mathematical rigor and accessibility.

• von Neumann Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study (2024-2025)
• NSF research grant DMS-2302011
• NSF CAREER grant DMS-1751281
• Williams Fund support for educational initiatives

Dr. Eischen has advised numerous graduate students including Cathy Hsu (now Assistant Professor at Swarthmore College), Jon Aycock (now Visiting Assistant Professor at UCSD), Samantha Platt (now Assistant Professor at Augsburg University), and Sean Haight (now Adjunct at Seattle University). Her current PhD students include Francis Dunn and Sidney Washburn. She has also mentored undergraduate researchers such as Abby Lewis and Nat Milnes, whose work resulted in published outreach projects and an Apple App Store application. She has received significant grant support including an NSF CAREER award and current NSF research funding for her work in number theory and mathematical education.

Through her "Math and the Creative Process" course and improv workshops for mathematicians, Dr. Eischen has built interdisciplinary teams connecting mathematics with theater arts. She co-organizes major workshops including the "Integrating Research and Illustration in Number Theory" at Institut Henri Poincaré (2026) and has led sessions at the Institute for Advanced Study, MSRI, and other prestigious institutions. Her Creativity Counts project has created a lasting impact through both physical and virtual museum exhibits that showcase the creative side of mathematics.