Dr. Jessica Sorrells
Dr. Jessica Sorrells is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and currently serves as Dean of the School of Business and Data Science. She came to Converse in 2015 after completing a PhD and MS in mathematics from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa and a BA in mathematics from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Sorrells teaches Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, and many other courses across the mathematics curriculum. She also enjoys teaching interdisciplinary courses as part of the Nisbet Honors program.
Dr. Sorrells’ teaching has been formally recognized with two awards: the 2019 South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2021 Kathryne Amelia Brown Award. Before moving into the role of academic dean, she served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science from 2017 to 2024.
In her free time, Dr. Sorrells enjoys reading, yoga, cooking, and traveling. Her recent adventures include trips to Iceland, Scotland, and France. Her mathematical hero is Emmy Noether.
Curriculum Vitae
Read more about Dr. Sorrells’ activities and accomplishments
Scholarly & Research Activity
Dr. Sorrells is active in mathematical research. One of her ongoing projects uses graph theory to study self-assembly of DNA nanostructures. Her DNA self-assembly research group has been supported by the Institute for Experimental and Computational Research in Mathematics (ICERM) at Brown University. She also enjoys research related to computational social choice theory, including applications of linear and abstract algebra to various election procedures. She frequently mentors undergraduate students completing research projects and prepares students to present at regional and national conferences.
Dr. Sorrells was a 2015-2016 Mathematical Association of America Project NExT fellow. As part of this program, she attended and organized mathematics education workshops at three national mathematics conferences. In particular, she is passionate about teaching with inquiry-based learning methods and has given presentations on her experiences designing inquiry-based courses at several regional and national conferences.