Paul Pearson

Dr. Paul Pearson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Hope College, where he has taught since 2012. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Mathematics (Algebraic Topology) from Northwestern University (2006) and a B.A. in Mathematics from St. Olaf College (2001).

Research Focus: His interdisciplinary research integrates machine learning and topological data analysis to address challenges in mathematical biology, computational chemistry, and high-dimensional data science. Specific applications include analyzing biological time-series data, protein energy predictions, and pattern recognition.

Publication Trends: Recent works demonstrate expertise in topological methods for machine learning (neural network visualization, election analysis), algebraic topology (K-theory, Hopf rings), and educational applications (chemistry performance prediction). His R package (TDAmapper) enables topological data analysis through Morse theory implementations.

Awards & Grants: Key funding includes a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant for first-year research curricula and NSF-supported MAA grants for developing WeBWorK educational tools. Student researchers under his mentorship earned the Janet L. Andersen Award (2016) and MAA MathFest presentation honors (2015).

Academic Leadership: He directs undergraduate research programs and co-developed course-based projects analyzing Great Lakes ecosystems. As a WeBWorK contributor, he authored 1,500+ problems and pioneered interactive macros used globally. Additional roles include Executive Committee representation for the Midstates Consortium (Mathematics/Science), webmaster for MAA Michigan, and Phi Beta Kappa chapter support.