Craig H. Jackson

Craig H. Jackson is a Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science at Ohio Wesleyan University. He joined the faculty in 2009 after postdoctoral work at The Ohio State University. His teaching spans calculus, discrete math, algebra, and advanced topics like knot theory, representation theory, and topology, with a focus on interdisciplinary connections (e.g., algebraic topology, geometric representation theory). He co-teaches travel-learning courses to Alaska and the Caribbean, integrating fieldwork with mathematical modeling of climate and biological systems.

• B.S., University of Alaska, Anchorage
• M.S., The Ohio State University
• Ph.D., University of Chicago (Nilpotent Orbits in Semi-Simple Lie Algebras)

His research bridges representation theory, braid groups, and quantum algebras with applications to mathematical biology, climate modeling, and cultural studies. Notably, he explores mathematical representations in non-mathematical texts like anime and film. Recent projects include a 2023 team-taught generative art course with Professor Jeff Nilan, featuring a digitally controlled Jacquard loom funded by the Thomas E. Wenzlau Grant (2022). He mentors undergraduate research, particularly in mathematical models of climate-glacier interactions, evolutionary game theory, and DNA abnormality detection.

The articles reflect his interdisciplinary approach: 2020 work on ecological stability and weak interactions, 2013 climate-glacier models, 2012 analyses of identity in media through topology, and 2011 studies on braid group representations. His teaching emphasizes collaborative student seminars and projects, such as the 2015 Marine Biology and Math course in the USVI.

His advising includes undergraduate honors projects on topics like DNA copy number variation, evolutionary game theory, and quantum computing. He actively engages in grants and projects, including the 2022 Wenzlau Grant for the digital loom, which integrates mathematics with fine arts.