About
Jonathan Simone is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he also serves as a faculty member in the Mellon College of Science. Previously, he held positions as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Georgia Tech and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He earned his Ph.D. in 2018 from the University of Virginia under the supervision of Thomas E. Mark.
Simone's research focuses on low-dimensional topology, with an emphasis on symplectic 4-manifolds, contact 3-manifolds, constructions of exotic 4-manifolds, and related problems. His work explores interactions between 3D and 4D manifolds, particularly through the lens of χ-sliceness and rational homology balls. He has contributed to understanding cubiquity obstructions, pretzel links, and tight contact structures on plumbed 3-manifolds.
His teaching experience spans institutions like CMU, Georgia Tech, and UMass, where he has taught courses ranging from linear algebra and differential geometry to abstract algebra and complex variables. He has been recognized for his teaching excellence, including the 2023 Georgia Tech Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching and multiple finalist nominations for distinguished teaching awards.
- Awards: 2023 Georgia Tech Student Recognition, 2020–2021 UMass Distinguished Teaching Finalist, 2016–2017 UVa Graduate Teaching Award.
- Advising/Grants: Mentor in REU programs (2022–2025), supervised students on projects like χ-slice pretzel links and cubiquitous lattices.
- Labs/Teams: Active in collaborative research projects, including work on symplectic Lefschetz fibrations and exotic 4-manifolds.
