Curriculum Vitae

Short CV

(For my full CV, click here.)

Positions:

Junior Professor (W1) (Assistant Professor, non-tenure track), April 2022-March 2028
WWU Münster

Akademischen Rätin (postdoc with Habilitation track), April 2020- March 2023
WWU Münster

Postdoctoral Researcher, September 2018- March 2020
WWU Münster

Education:

Ph.D. Mathematics, University of Virginia, 2018.
Advisor: David Sherman

M.S. Mathematics, Auburn University, 2013.

B.S. Mathematics, Auburn University, 2010.
B.A. Philosophy, Auburn University, 2010.

Articles

Published:

B. Armstrong, G. G. de Castro, L. Orloff Clark, K. Courtney, Y-F. Lin, K. McCormick, J. Ramagge, A. Sims, and B. Steinberg. “Reconstruction of twisted Steinberg algebras,” Int. Math. Res. Not., rnab291, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/imrn/rnab291.  arXiv:2101.08556.

B. Armstrong, L. Orloff Clark, K. Courtney, Y-F. Lin, K. McCormick, and J. Ramagge. “Twisted Steinberg algebras,” J. Pure Appl. Algebr., 226 (2022), Issue 3. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpaa.2021.106853] (arXiv:1910.13005)

K. Courtney, “Universal C*-algebras with the Local Lifting Property,” Math. Scand., 127 (2021), 361-381. [https://doi.org/10.7146/math.scand.a-126018] (arXiv:2002.02365).

K. Courtney, D. Sherman. “The universal C*-algebra of a contraction,” J. Operator Theory, 84 (2020), Issue 1, 153-184. [http://dx.doi.org/10.7900/jot.2019mar11.2229] (arXiv:1811.04043).

K. Courtney, T. Shulman. “Free products with amalgamation over central C*-subalgebras,” Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., 148 (2020), 765-776. [https://doi.org/10.1090/proc/14746] (arXiv:1809.09134).

K. Courtney, T. Shulman. “Elements of C*-algebras attaining their norm in a finite-dimensional representation,” Canad. J. Math. 71 (2019), Issue 1,
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4153/CJM-2017-040-x] (arxiv:1707.01949).

Preprints and In Preparation:

K. Courtney, A. Duwenig, M. Georgescu, A. an Huef, M. G. Viola, “Alexandrov groupoids and the nuclear dimension of twisted groupoid C*-algebras.” arXiv:2211.00547.

K. Courtney, W. Winter, “Nuclearity and CPC*-systems.”

K. Courtney, “Completely positive approximations and inductive systems.”

Honors, Awards, Grants, Fellowships:

  • National Science Foundation (US), (Co-PI) Groundwork for Operator Algebras Lecture Series (NSF #2154574), April 01, 2022- August 31, 2023.
  • National Science Foundation (US), (Co-PI) Groundwork for Operator Algebras Lecture Series (GOALS) (NSF #2000131), April 01, 2020- September 30, 2021.
  • American Institute of Mathematics, Structured Quartet Research Ensembles (SQuaRE), August 2019 – July 2023.
  • Oberwolfach Leibniz Graduate Students Grant recipient, August 2019.
  • American Mathematical Society, Joint Math Meetings 2018 Travel Grant recipient.
  • US Junior Oberwolfach Fellow, September 2017.
  • All-University Graduate Teaching Award, University of Virginia, April 2017.
  • Spring Dissertation Fellowship, University of Virginia, Spring 2017.

Selected Talks/ Lecture Series:

  • C*-Algebras: Tensor Products, Approximation & Classification. WWU Münster, July 2023.
  • Groups and operator algebras. Institute of Mathematics of Orsay, June 2023.
  • Noncommutative Geometry Festival. Washington University in St. Louis, June, 2023.
  • Barcelona Weekend in Operator Algebras. Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, January 2023.
  • Research Training Group “Fourier Analysis and Spectral Theory” Colloquium. University of Göttingen, October 2022.
  • Oberwolfach Workshop 2232: C*-algebras. MFO, August 2022:
    “Nuclear C*-algebras as inductive limits of finite dimensional C*-algebras.”
  • Groundwork in Operator Algebras Lecture Series (GOALS): C*-algebras Minicourse. University of Montana, July 2022.
  • Institut Colloquium. Institut für Mathematik Universität Potsdam, May 2022.
    “Approximations on Groups.”
  • University Quantum Symmetries Lectures. Online, February 2022.
    “Nuclearity and generalized inductive limits.”
  • Automorphisms and Invariants of Operator Algebras. University of Copenhagen, October 2021.
    “Nuclearity and generalized inductive limits.”
  • GOALS: C*-algebras Minicourse. Michigan State University, July 2021.
  • Conference on Operator Algebras & Related Topics: In memory of Vaughan Jones
    Istanbul Center for Mathematical Sciences and Online, June 2021
  • 8th European Congress of Mathematics, Operator Algebras Mini-Symposium. Online, June 2021.
  • Global Noncommutative Geometry Seminar Seminar (European Edition). Online, March 2021.
    ”Generalized inductive limits with asymptotically order zero maps.” (Slides)
  • Actions of Tensor Categories on C*-algebras. IPAM (UCLA), Online, January 2021.
    Mini Course: “The abstract approach to classifying C*-algebras.” (Video) (Slides)
  • Joint Mathematics Meetings – Special Session on Advances in Operator Algebras. Online, January 2021.
  • Winter Canadian Math Society Meeting. Online, December 2020.
  • Global Noncommutative Geometry Seminar Seminar (Americas Edition). Online, September 2020.
    ”C*-structure on images of completely positive order zero maps.” (Video)
  • Special Week on Operator Algebras. East China Normal University, August 2020.
  • GOALS: C*-algebras Minicourse. Michigan State University (Online), June – July 2020.
  • UK Virtual Operator Algebras Seminar. Online, May 2020.
    “Kirchberg’s QWEP Conjecture: Between Connes’ and Tsirelson’s Problems.” (Slides)
  • Banff Workshop 19w5134 – Classification Problems in von Neumann Algebras. BIRS, September 2019.
    “Amalgamated Products of Strongly RFD C*-algebras arising from locally compact groups.” (Video)
  • Banff Workshop 19w5073 – Topology and Measure in Dynamics and Operator Algebras. BIRS, September 2019.
    “Amalgamated products of RFD C*-algebras.”
  • Oberwolfach Workshop 1933: C*-algebras. MFO, August 2019.
    “Amalgamated products of RFD C*-algebras.”
  • Groupoids, Graphs, and Algebras. University of Sydney, July 2019.
    “Twisted Steinberg Algebras.”
  • East Coast Operator Algebras Symposium. Texas Christian University, October 2018.
    “Amalgamated free products of strongly RFD C*-algebras over central subalgebras.” (Slides)
  • International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM)- Satellite Conference in Operator Algebras. Florianópolis, Brazil, July 2018.
    “Norm attainment under finite-dimensional representations.” (Slides)
  • (Sub)factors in Maui. Maui, Hawaii, May 2018.
    “A universal contraction algebra: from von Neumann’s inequality to Connes’ embedding problem.”
  • AMS Sectional Meeting– Special Session on Advances in Operator Algebras. Vanderbilt, April 2018:
    “Finite-dimensional representations of C*-algebras and AF mapping telescopes.”
  • Workshop on computability of K-theory for C*-algebras. Texas A& M, February 2018:
    “Universal contractions, von Neumann’s Inequality, and Connes’ embedding problem.”
  • Joint Mathematics Meetings – Special Session on Advances in Operator Algebras. San Diego, CA, January 2018.
    “A von Neumann-type inequality with universal C*-algebras.”
  • Brazos Analysis Seminar. University of Huston, November 2017:
    “Residually finite-dimensional C*-algebras and mapping telescopes.”
  • Oberwolfach Mini-Workshop: MASAs and Automorphisms of C*-algebras 1738a. September 2017:
    “Finding elements in C*-algebras using mapping telescopes.”
  • Noncommutative Geometry and Operator Algebras (NCGOA) Spring Institute. Vanderbilt, May 2017:
    “Finite Dimensionally Normed Elements in an RFD C*-algebra.”
  • University of Virginia Operator Theory Seminar. August-September 2016:
    Four-Part Lecture Series: “The WEP, the LLP, and some related conjectures according to Kirchberg.” (Lecture Notes)

Organization and Initiatives:

  • Organizer for Twinned Conference on C*-algebras and Tensor Categories (Held jointly at ICMS and the Fields Institute)
    Nov 6-10, 2023
    (ICMS and Fields)
  • Organizer/ Instructor for Groundwork in Operator Algebras Lecture Series (GOALS)
    Summer 2020 (Online), Summer 2021 (Michigan State University), Summer 2022 (University of Montana)
  • Organizer Young Mathematicians in C*-algebras (YMC*A)
    August 9-14, 2021
    WWU Münster
  • Organizer for Focus Programme: “Operator algebras and topological dynamics: amenability and beyond”
    June-August, 2021
    WWU Münster
  • Operator Algebras Mentor Network, Junior Mentor and co-founder, 2019-present.
  • Organizer for YMC*A 2019, University of Copenhagen.
  • Organizer for Young Women in C*-algebras (YWC*A) 2018, KU Leuven.
  • Organizer for Teaching for Diversity Workshop,
    University of Virginia Department of Math, August 2017.
  • University of Virginia Graduate Student Seminar Chair, 2016-2018.
  • University of Virginia Math Ambassadors Outreach Program, 2014- 2018.

Teaching:

See Teaching Page.