My graduate research was in the algebraic area of representation theory of Lie algebras, a topic typically not encountered until later in graduate studies. Because of this, I found it difficult to involve undergraduate and master’s students in meaningful ways. Since I have always been passionate about broadening participation in mathematics, I sought a new direction, one that could welcome students at various levels into active research.
In the summer of 2021, I joined a Mathematical Research Community hosted by the American Mathematical Society on the Inverse Eigenvalue Problem of a Graph (IEP-G). This area sits at the intersection of matrix theory and combinatorics/discrete mathematics, and it has opened opportunities for me to include both undergraduate and graduate students in valuable research experiences. Since then, I have established myself in this field through ongoing collaborations with colleagues and students. See below for links to some recent work.
My current projects in combinatorics and discrete mathematics are intentionally designed to engage a broader audience. A central goal of my research is to work alongside students and colleagues to study graph parameters and their variations. Equally important to me is creating opportunities for students who have been historically excluded from mathematics.
When mentoring, I emphasize high-impact practices such as personal investment and meaningful interactions, which research shows are linked to improved GPA, retention, and time to graduation.
If you are a student curious about what mathematical research entails, or are interested in joining a project, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to chat!
N. Bong, M. Flagg, M. Hunnel, J. Hutchens, R. Moruzzi Jr., H. Schuerger, B. Small. Reconfiguration of Minimum PSD Forcing Sets and Minimum Skew Forcing Sets. 2025. arXiv:2501.03642 (submitted)
E. Curl, S. Fallet, R. Moruzzi Jr., C. Reinhart, D. Young. On the Zero Forcing Number of Complements of Graphs with Forbidden Subgraphs. Linear Algebra and its Applications, Vol. 703, pp. 187–207, 2024. (link)
O. Elias, I. Farish, E. King, J. Kyei, R. Moruzzi Jr. Leaky Positive Semidefinite Forcing on Graphs. Involve: A Journal of Mathematics, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 719–735, 2025. DOI: 10.2140/involve.2025.18.719. (link)
B. Bjorkman, L. Cao, F. Kenter, R. Moruzzi Jr., C. Reinhart, V. Vasilevska. Leaky Forcing: Extending Zero Forcing Results to a Fault-Tolerant Setting. arXiv:2508.02564, 2025. (submitted)