Ben Ford

Office

Advising Area

• Advisor
• Math Education Advisor

Biography

I'm a Professor of Mathematics here at Sonoma State. I arrived in August 1998 after postdocs at the University of Washington in Seattle and with the Cleveland Public Schools and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

As is true for most people, my path was heavily influenced by important teachers—I began college intending to never take another math class! Then Professor Soo Bong Chae (at New College of Florida) drew me back, Professor László Babai renewed my excitement during a semester studying at the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics, and Professor Gary Seitz was a wonderful advisor during my grad school time at the University of Oregon.

Mathematics

My interests in Mathematics are quite varied. On my publications page you'll find links to my research publications in group representation theory and algebraic combinatorics. A group is a algebraic structure that shows up in the study of symmetry and many other areas. Representation theory is an effort to understand groups by studying (mathematical) objects on which groups "act" in special ways. Combinatorics is the science of counting things, and many interesting objects need to be counted in representation theory! Students interested in studying these fields are welcome to check with me about research projects.

I'm also very interested in applications of Mathematics to other fields. I've given expository talks on the Mathematics of protein folding, Mathematics of traffic jams, and Mathematics and Language. No original research in these fields, but I'd be happy to supervise reading courses if you're interested.

I am very committed to K–12 and college math education, and spend much of my time serving as Faculty Advisor for the California Mathematics Project: North Coast, one of a statewide network of sites dedicated to "...providing students a rich, rigorous, and coherent mathematics curriculum taught by competent and confident mathematics teachers who foster ALL students’ proficiency in mathematics—achieving equity in quality." I also help obtain and administer grant funding to support improving STEM instruction at all levels.

Away from SSU

I serve the small city of Cotati as a City Councilmember (since December 2020), having previously served on the Planning Commission for eight years and in other volunteer capacities. I volunteer with and support organizations working on social justice and environmental justice issues. I love riding my road bike around Sonoma County, and I am into woodworking and backpacking as well.