Teaching.

In Semester 2, 2008, I will be teaching Discrete Mathematics 200025 at Parramatta campus.

Administration.

• elected member of UWS Academic Senate
• elected chair of the School Board
• member of the School Research Committee

Research.

My main research interests are within algebra.  More narrowly the questions I attempt to answer lie within the representation theory of finite groups.  Finite groups are ubiquitous in many parts of mathematics and sciences more broadly, and questions about their structure can often be accessed by considering how they can be "represented" within groups of matrices.  This question in turn led historically to the study of Iwahori-Hecke algebras, which are deformations, or "q-analogues", of the group algebras of finite reflection groups. 

My research has focussed on questions about the structure of Iwahori-Hecke algebras of both the real reflection groups (Coxeter groups) and the Hecke algebras of finite complex reflection groups.  Specifically most questions I have looked at relate to the structure of the centres of these algebras (that part which commutes with all other elements in the algebra).

I have also recently begun branching out to more applied scientific questions.  In particular I have been working on the question of how to best understand the immensely detailed genetic data arising from an outbreak of infectious disease such as tuberculosis.  This work has been with Dr Mark Tanaka at UNSW, and is funded by an ARC Discovery Project Grant. 

Students interested in studying any of these areas should contact me or consult my list of specific student projects.

Contact details: