Megan Kerr

Megan Kerr serves as the Katharine and Claudine Malone '63 Professor of Mathematics at Wellesley College, where she teaches across the mathematics curriculum from calculus to advanced topics in geometry. Her academic home is within the Mathematics & Statistics Department at this prestigious women's liberal arts college.

Her educational journey began as an undergraduate at Wellesley College, where she later returned as faculty, completing a full circle in her academic career. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania under the supervision of Wolfgang Ziller, with research focused on Homogeneous Einstein Metrics.

Professor Kerr's research centers on global differential geometry, particularly exploring the interplay between curvature constraints and large symmetry groups. She specializes in homogeneous and low-cohomogeneity spaces, investigating fundamental questions about the existence of geometric structures, their rarity or commonality, and potential obstructions. Her work bridges the analytic concept of curvature with the algebraic framework of Lie groups, and she has recently expanded into geometric analysis where topology plays a significant role.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent focus on homogeneous Einstein metrics across three decades, with particular attention to curvature properties, symmetry constraints, and classification problems in both positive and negative curvature settings. Her research has evolved from foundational work on symmetric spaces to more complex non-symmetric examples and specialized curvature conditions, demonstrating both depth and breadth in differential geometry.

• Katharine and Claudine Malone '63 Professor of Mathematics
• Radcliffe Institute Fellowship

As an alumna of Wellesley College, Professor Kerr maintains a strong commitment to encouraging women in mathematics. She teaches a diverse range of courses including calculus, linear algebra, combinatorics, real analysis, non-Euclidean geometry, differential geometry, topology, knot theory, and matrix groups as an introduction to Lie groups. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes developing mathematical understanding and confidence that benefits students regardless of their major. Her research has taken her to international destinations including Australia, Germany, and Mexico, reflecting the global nature of her scholarly collaborations.