Ryan Derby-Talbot

Ryan Derby-Talbot joins the faculty at Quest University Canada from the American University in Cairo where he taught mathematics as an assistant professor for three years. He earned a BA in mathematics with a minor in philosophy from Pomona College and his PhD in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin. His mathematical area of expertise is in topology, the study of spaces. He maintains an active research program, using mathematics and logic to contemplate (among other things) the possible shapes of the universe. He is fascinated by many ideas in mathematics, philosophy, the sciences and beyond.

Ryan's endeavors inside the classroom and out are motivated by a desire to understand the relationship between beauty and pattern. He is especially interested in how people attempt to articulate such notions, and what ramifications this has for student learning, scholarly endeavors, and his own teaching.

An eager adventurer, Ryan has lived on four continents and speaks Japanese and Arabic. He enjoys reading, conversing, traveling, skiing and spending time in nature.