Rate My Professor Mariah Barnes

Mariah Barnes-Gonzalez serves as a Lecturer in the Mathematics Department at Baylor University, where she joined the faculty in 2022. She obtained her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Denver in the Spring of 2022. Her doctoral dissertation, titled "On loop commutators, quaternionic automorphic loops, and related topics," was supervised by Michael Kinyon. This work delves into advanced topics within non-associative algebra. Prior to her Ph.D., she earned a Master of Science in Mathematics from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Colorado Mesa University.

Dr. Barnes-Gonzalez's research interests center on non-associative algebra, with a particular emphasis on loops and quasigroups. Her expertise in this area stems from her graduate studies and continues at Baylor. Notably, in 2024, she collaborated with undergraduate researcher Chloe Povey-Rowe on a project titled "Generalizing Chein's M(G,2) Loops via a Modified Cayley-Dickson Process." This research introduces a novel construction utilizing a modified Cayley-Dickson process, incorporating an antiautomorphism and a central element to generate magmas that generalize Chein's M(G,2) Moufang loops. The study demonstrates closure properties and reduces to known loops under specific conditions, forging new connections in non-associative algebra. Additionally, during her time at the University of Denver, she presented on "On semiparamedial quasigroups" at an AMS sectional meeting.

In her role at Baylor University, Dr. Barnes-Gonzalez teaches a variety of undergraduate courses, including Precalculus and Calculus. She is actively involved in educational outreach, co-leading Mathematics Circles at Baylor University—an initiative aimed at engaging middle school students in the Waco area with mathematical concepts. This program, launched in collaboration with colleagues Dr. Christoph Fischbacher, Dr. Josiah Ireland, and Dr. Matthew Kroesche, underscores her commitment to broadening access to mathematics education.