About

A woman in a button-down shirt and sidebag in front of a flower bush.
Me in December ’24.
“How did you even get here?”

Hello! I’m a PhD student at LSU studying mathematics. My research interests include topology and combinatorics, with a particular fondness for matroids.

I like getting involved in my community. I currently serve as secretary and webmaster of LSU’s AWM chapter, and as webmaster for LSU’s RTG. I also participate in the informal geometry and topology seminar and the DTC/informal combinatorics seminar.

I manage the department’s 3D print lab. More on that soon.

Lately
Working on a paper. Playing around with the websites I manage. Probably in my home office talking to my plants and reading.

Curriculum Vitae

Last updated May 2026. Full CV available as PDF.

Education

Ph.D. Mathematics, Louisiana State University
Advisor: Christin Bibby Fall 2025–present
B.S. Mathematics, Louisiana State University Fall 2022–Spring 2025

Papers

M. Fairchild, H. Garcia, J. Murphy, H. Percle. Non-orientable 4-genus of torus knots. Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications (to appear 2026+). arXiv:2405.04737.

Talks

Noncontractive Function Systems
6th TX-LA Mathematics Undergraduate Conference Spring 2023
On The “Kelly Sequence”
6th TX-LA Mathematics Undergraduate Conference Spring 2023

Teaching

MATH 1431, Business Calculus — Lab Leader/TA, LSU
Sections 7, 11, 19 Spring 2026
MATH 1431, Business Calculus — Lab Leader/TA, LSU
Sections 7, 8, 9, 11, 25, 28 Fall 2025
Honors Calculus 1 — Primary Instructor, Arden Cahill Academy Fall 2023–Spring 2024

Service

Officer, LSU AWM Student Chapter
President (Fall 2025–Spring 2026); Secretary (Spring 2026–present); Webmaster (Fall 2025–present) Fall 2025–present
Mentor, Vertically Integrated Research Courses, LSU Fall 2025–present
Webmaster, RTG@LSU Spring 2026–present
Manager, LSU Math 3D Print Lab Spring 2026–present

Awards

Pasquale Porcelli Graduate Student Academic Excellence Award Spring 2026
Robert and Betti Giles Senior Mathematics Award Spring 2025
Peg and Tom Madden Mathematics Research Scholarship Spring 2024
Porcelli Junior Scholarship Spring 2023

Teaching

On this page you can find information relevant for students taking one of my classes, including times, location, policies, and office hours.

For classes where I am the primary instructor, this page doubles as a course syllabus and will include homework due dates and course content.

Quick Links

MATH 1431: Business Calculus, Spring 2026

Time & Location
All sections meet in Library 232.
  • §7: Monday 13:30–14:20
  • §11: Tuesday 09:30–10:20
  • §19: Wednesday 13:30–14:20
Grading
Per lab period, a student may earn 10 points total:
  • +7 points for attendance.
  • +3 points for correct solutions to end-of-class quizzes. Partial credit given.
A student may lose points for the following:
  • −0.5 points for tardiness (showing up after roll).
  • −1 point for use of a cell phone, increasing by 1 point per infraction.
Overview
The first 30–40 minutes of class will be devoted to reviewing concepts from the main lecture and homework. I encourage students to come with questions, specific or otherwise. Students who feel comfortable with the material may open Pearson to work on homework; collaboration and notes are permitted, so long as the volume of conversation is reasonable. Use of generative AI for homework is prohibited.

I enforce a strict no-phones policy. I expect all phones to be in bags, out of sight, and on silent. The required calculator for the course is affordable; graphing calculators and Desmos are also allowed.

Office Hours
Lockett 363, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 07:30–08:20; Tuesday 07:30–09:20.

Office hours do not require an appointment. I also hold hours by appointment, so email me if you cannot make a posted time. I welcome everyone, but prioritize students enrolled in the sections for which the hours are designated.

Absence
I excuse absences for the following reasons:
  • Email me day-of if you are sick, have an emergency, or there is hazardous weather. No note necessary.
  • Email me in advance if you have plans or appointments during class.
  • Email me a sick note or proof of valid excuse under LSU PS22.

If you miss class, it is your responsibility to inform me so you can make up missed content or quizzes. I offer retakes during office hours by appointment. In the first two cases above, retakes should be completed within 2 weeks of the absence; otherwise I deduct 30%. If you need more time, reach out to discuss.

I typically take roll within the first 5 minutes of class. It is always better to be tardy than absent.

MATH 1431: Business Calculus, Fall 2025

Time & Location
All sections meet in Library 232.
  • §7: Monday 14:30–15:20
  • §8: Tuesday 08:30–09:20
  • §9: Tuesday 09:30–10:20
  • §11: Tuesday 13:30–14:20
  • §25: Friday 10:30–11:20
  • §28: Friday 13:30–14:20
Grading
Per lab period, a student may earn 10 points total:
  • +9 points for attendance.
  • +1 point for correct solutions to end-of-class quizzes. Pass/fail; the questions are intentionally easy.
A student may lose points for the following:
  • −1 point for tardiness (showing up after roll).
  • −1 point for non-class-related use of a phone, increasing by 1 point per infraction.
Office Hours
Lockett 363, Tuesday 15:00–15:20 and Thursday 15:00–17:00.

Office hours do not require an appointment. I also hold hours by appointment; email me if you cannot make a posted time. I welcome everyone, but prioritize students enrolled in the sections for which the hours are designated.

Special office hours: December 11th, 08:00–12:00 (exam week).

Absence
I excuse absences for the following reasons:
  • Email me day-of if you are sick, have an emergency, or there is hazardous weather. No note necessary.
  • Email me in advance if you have plans or appointments during class.
  • Email me a sick note or proof of valid excuse under LSU PS22.

If you miss class, it is your responsibility to inform me so you can make up missed content or quizzes. I offer retakes during office hours by appointment. I typically take roll within the first 5 minutes of class; it is always better to be tardy than absent.

3D Print Lab

The LSU Math 3D Print Lab is located in 373 Lockett Hall. I manage the lab and handle print requests for members of the LSU Mathematics Department.

The lab currently houses 3 printers. Check the status board before submitting a request.

Quick Links

Printer Status

Ultimaker 3 Idle
Ultimaker 3 Extended Idle
Prusa Core One+ Idle

How to Request a Print

Print requests are open to members of the LSU Mathematics Department, including faculty, staff, and graduate students. To submit a request, email me at jgarc86@lsu.edu with the following:

  • Your STL or 3MF file.
  • Your preferred material and color, or a note that you are flexible.
  • Any deadline or urgency, and any notes on quality versus speed.

I do not guarantee turnaround times, but I will let you know if a request is not feasible. Please check the filament inventory below before specifying a material; if you need something not in stock, ask and I may be able to source it.

Filament Inventory

Updated alongside the printer status board. Spool counts are approximate.

2.85mm

Material Color Stock
MATERIAL COLOR #SPOOLS spools

1.75mm

Material Color Stock
MATERIAL COLOR #SPOOLS spools(comment)

Comics

A selection of comics I have drawn. Subject matter varies. Clearly inspired by xkcd. All humor is derivative, but mine is especially so.

I like to take inspiration from the Catholic Church's calendar for my office hours.

The Mesozoic was far weirder than people give it credit for.

According to my partner, this is how mathematicians speak.

My friends should NOT give me access to their devices.

Sometimes we need the little things.

Correcting my friends' gender in-band since 2004!

These hydraulic press channels are getting out of hand!

Don't look at the file extension...

Blog

Occasional writing on math, teaching, and whatever else is on my mind. Available as an RSS feed.

New website design!? May 2026 New packaging, same great flavor.
← All posts

New website design!?

May 2026

Hey yall!

As you’ve noticed (presumably; you are on a new page, after all), I’ve updated this website considerably. This shouldn’t come as a great shock to anyone. While I like the retro, deeply personal design I was using, it wasn’t the most efficient to update. A clean design, prioritizing simplicity and modularity, was the solution.

There are, for now, three new sections. The blog section is, as you’ve been able to discover, a place for blogs and updates. I’m excited to put stories, information, and the occasional math blurb here. For all of the two-and-a-half people that read this, I’m sure you’re over the moon.

The 3D print lab homepage is the much-anticipated information and landing tab for the covert activities of Lockett 373. On that tab, you can find information about the lab, how to request a print, a gallery of past prints, and a current rough view at our filament inventory. Depending on when you’re reading this, there might still be placeholder content on the tab. I’m working very hard (probably) to fix this.

The last new tab is the relevant links tab. It’s probably the least special and it just lists the links that used to be scattered around the page.

However, what’s new is not all that’s coming. I’ll be organizing LSU’s DTC seminar in the 2026-2027 academic year. Information on that will eventually have its own tab here. I also may or may not be working on some fun, secret projects. Shh!

As a final note, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of my friends who successfully defended this semester. I will particularly mention my friend Kiri Cahill. Her resilience, kindness, and Tikz ability are constant sources of inspiration and respect for me. Additionally, she managed the 3D print lab with me this past year. Her and her husband Kade have been beyond critical in getting the lab to where it is today.

Best,
Hailey