Teaching Schedule (Spring 2026)

Math 106, Functions of a Complex Variable, Tue and Th, 9am-10:20am, room 380C
Math 56, Proofs and Modern Mathematics, Tue and Th, 10:30am-11:50am, room 380Y
Office Hours: Mon 1-2pm, Tue 2-3pm and by appointment.

Research interests

Symplectic topology and geometry, in particular holomorphic curves and moduli spaces of curves;
Gromov-Witten invariants, enumerative invariants and other gauge theoretical invariants.

Education

Ph. D., Mathematics, Michigan State University, 1996.
B.S., Mathematics, University "Al. I. Cuza", Iasi, Romania, 1991.

Appointments

2023-present, Robert Grimmett Professor of Mathematics, Stanford University.
2006-present, Professor of Mathematics, Stanford University.
2016-2019, Department Chair, Mathematics Department, Stanford University.
Spring 2018, Member, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
2013-2015, Director of Graduate Studies, Mathematics Department, Stanford University.
Fall 2009, Member, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
2004-2006, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
2004-2006, Associate Professor, Stanford University.
2002-2004, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Fall 2001, Member, Institute of Advanced Studies, Princeton.
1998-2002, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
1996-1999, CLE Moore Instructor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Fall 1996, Postdoctoral Fellow, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
1991-1996, Teaching Assistant, Michigan State University.
1990-1991, Teaching Assistant, University "Al. I. Cuza", Iasi, Romania.

Notable Awards/Honors

Frontiers of Science Award, ICBS (2026)
AMS Fellow (2020).
Simons Fellow (2015-2016). 
Invited speaker, Topology Section, International Congress of Mathematicians (Beijing, 2002). 
Plenary speaker, AMS National Meeting (Atlanta, 2005). 
Plenary speaker, AMS Sectional Meeting (Madison, 2002).
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2000-2004).

Significant publications

The Gopakumar-Vafa finiteness conjecture (with Aleksander Doan and Thomas Walpuski), Annals of Math, to appear. arXiv:2103.08221.
A Klein TQFT: the local Real Gromov-Witten theory of curves (with Penka Georgieva), Advances in Math 391 (2021), 1-70; arXiv:1812.02505.
The Gopakumar-Vafa formula for symplectic manifolds (with T.H. Parker), Annals of Math 187 (2018), 1-64; arXiv:1306.1516.
GW invariants relative to normal crossing divisors, Advances in Math. 281 (2015), 40-141; arXiv:1103.3977.
Relations in the tautological ring of \(\mathcal{M}_g\), Duke Math. J., Volume 129 (2005), 157-186; arXiv:math/0312100.
The symplectic sum formula for Gromov-Witten invariants (with T.H. Parker), Annals of Math., Volume 159 (2004), 935-1025; Corrigendum, June 2015.
Relative Gromov-Witten Invariants (with T.H. Parker), Annals of Math., Volume 157 (2003), 1-52.
Topological Recursive Relations in \(H^{2g}(\mathcal{M}_{g,n})\), Inventiones Math., Volume 148 (2002), 627-658.
Genus One Enumerative Invariants in \(\mathbb{P}^n\) with Fixed \(j\) Invariant, Duke Math. J., Volume 94 (1998), 279-324.

Some Recent Papers/Preprints

Splitting formulas for the local real Gromov-Witten invariants (with Penka Georgieva), J. Sympl. Geom, Volume 20 (2022), pp. 561-664,
Relating VFCs on thin compactifications (with Thomas H. Parker), Mathematische Annalen, Volume 375 (2019), 845-893.
Thin compactifications and relative fundamental classes (with Thomas H. Parker), J. Sympl. Geom, Volume 17 (2019), 703-752.

Selected Recent Talks

Gauge Theory, Low-Dimensional Topology and Geometric Analysis Conference, Rutgers, July 2026.
Refinements in Enumerative Geometry and Physics Conference, ICTS Bangalore, June 2026.
Enumerative geometry seminar, Institut de Mathematiques Jussieu - Paris Rive Gauche (IMJ-PRG), March 2026.
Women in Math, invited lecture, ISTA, Vienna, Austria, May 2025.
BICMR-IBSCGP Conference on Gromov-Witten Theory and Related Topics, Jeju, Korea, Aug 2024.
2nd annual Simons Math Summer Workshop: Moduli, Simons Center, Mini-course/three lectures, Stony Brook, July 2024.
Topology of 4-manifolds and Related Topics, Jeju, Korea, Jan 2024.
SFT10 Symplectic Field Theory Workshop, Humbold University, Berlin, Aug 2023.
The Tenth Congress of Romanian Mathematicians, Pitesti, Romania, July 2023.
Western Hemisphere Virtual Symplectic Seminar, online, June 2021.
8th Pacific Rim Conference on Mathematics, online, Aug 2020.
Symplectix Seminar, Institut Henri Poincare, Paris, March 2020.
Geometry and Analysis of Moduli Spaces Workshop, Imperial College London, Jan 2020.
Mirror Symmetry in Higher Genus Workshop, mini-course, IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, Nov 2019.
International Symplectic Topology Conference, IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, Aug 2019.
Connections for Women Workshop: Enumerative Geometry Beyond Numbers, MSRI, Jan 2018.
Floer Memorial Lecture, Berkeley, Oct 2017.
Symplectic geometry: Celebrating the work of Simon Donaldson, Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge, Aug 2017.
Texas Geometry and Topology Conference, Texas Tech University, Feb 2017.
Symplectic Geometry and Topology Conference (in honour of Dusa McDuff), International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Edinburgh, July 2016.
7th Pacific Rim Conference on Mathematics, Seoul National University, Korea, June 2016.
Perspectives on topology and geometry of 4-manifolds, Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 2016.
Colloquium talk, MSU, March 2016.
Symplectic Geometry and Topology Workshop, Uppsala University, Sweden, Sept 2015.
Workshop on Conservative Dynamics and Symplectic Geometry talk, IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, Aug 2015.
Colloquium talk, UCLA, Oct 2014.
Gokova Geometry Topology Conference, Gokova, Turkey, May 2014.
Geometry/Topology seminar, MIT, March 2014.
Workshop on Moduli Spaces of Pseudo-holomorphic Curves, mini course (joint with T. Parker), Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, March 2014.
Symplectic Seminar, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, March 2014.
Joint Princeton/IAS Symplectic Geometry Seminar, Nov 22, 2013.
Symplectic Techniques: The Space of Holomorphic Curves, Graduate lecture series, Program for Women and Mathematics, Princeton, May 2012.

Selected Professional Service

• Member, Committee on Undergraduate Standards and Policy (C-USP), Stanford, 2025-2027.
• Member, ERC Advanced Grants evaluation panel, 2025-2026.
• Member, ERC Advanced Grants evaluation panel, 2023-2024.
• Member, Stanford Science Fellows Steering Committee, 2019-2022.
• Member, AMS Committee on the Profession, 2019-2022.
• Member, Association for Women in Mathematics Awards Committee, 2017-2020.
• Core member, Topology Panel for the International Congress of Mathematicians 2010.
• academic editor, Geometry&Topology, (2005-2009).


• scientific org and special section co-org, The Tenth Pacific Rim Conference in Mathematics, Taipei, Taiwan, June 2026.
• scientific org and special section co-org, The Ninth Pacific Rim Conference in Mathematics, Darwin, Australia, June 2024.
• co-org, Stanford Topology Celebration, Stanford, May 2023.
• lead org, New four-dimensional gauge theories, MSRI, October 2022.
• co-org, Moduli spaces of curves and maps, FRG conference, Stanford, February 2015.
• scientific org, 2012 Program for Women and Mathematics, Princeton, May 2012.
• co-org Algebraic Structures in the Theory of Holomorphic Curves, MSRI, Nov 2009.
• co-org Cyclic homology and symplectic topology, AIM, November 2009.
• co-org Connection for Women Workshop, MSRI, Aug 2009.
• co-org Symplectic and Contact Geometry and Topology program, MSRI, 2009-2010.
  
• co-org Northern California Symplectic Geometry Seminar (monthly seminar that alternates between Stanford and Berkeley), 2004-present.
• org Beatrice Yormark Distinguished Lecture Series, Department of Mathematics, Stanford University, 2012-present.
• Faculty advisor and PI, Kylerec Graduate Student Workshop in Symplectic and Contact Geometry, 2017-present.
• Faculty advisor, SWIMM: Stanford Women in Math Mentoring, 2016-present.

Other links

• Beatrice Yormark Distinguished Lecture Series, Department of Mathematics, Stanford.
• Andreas Floer Memorial Lectures, alternates between Stanford and Berkeley.
• Northern California Symplectic Geometry seminar (Berkeley - Davis - Santa Cruz - Stanford).
• Stanford Symplectic Geometry Seminar
• Other Seminars at Stanford.