Mona Merling

Mona Merling is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the School of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (2014) under Peter May. Prior to Penn, she was a J.J. Sylvester Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on algebraic K-theory, its applications to number theory and manifold theory, and equivariant stable homotopy theory. She has held research positions at institutions like the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics.

Merling teaches advanced courses in algebraic topology, homotopy theory, and calculus, including innovative programs like the Penn Directed Reading Program and collaborations with the Prison Teaching Initiative to provide education in incarcerated settings. She organizes conferences and workshops, such as the Algebraic Topology Bridge Summer Workshop, fostering accessibility in topology education.

Her research explores cutting-edge topics like scissors congruence K-theory, equivariant infinite loop space theory, and parametrized cobordism categories. Recent work includes collaborations on derived scissors congruence and multiplicative equivariant K-theory, with applications to geometric and algebraic structures. Her grants include funding for social justice initiatives in education.