HAZLETON, Pa. — Penn State Hazleton will present its annual George Tseo Memorial Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 19, featuring Adjunct Instructor in Mathematics Craig Johnson, who will explore the connections between mathematics and music in a presentation that combines academic insight with live musical demonstrations.
The lecture, titled "Connections of Mathematics to Music," will begin at noon in room 109 of the Evelyn Graham Academic Building. The event, sponsored by the Lectures and Cultural Events Committee, is free and open to the public.
According to Johnson, “My presentation concerns the relationship of geometric transformations to certain composing techniques used by some of the classical composers, as well as current pop musicians. I’ll also bring a guitar and attempt to play some songs as examples."
Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and a doctorate from Purdue University, both in mathematics specializing in topology. After working in California's aerospace industry, he spent 31 years teaching mathematics and astronomy at Marywood University, where he mentored numerous undergraduate research projects.
A lifelong musician, Johnson has played piano and guitar for most of his life and currently performs as part of the duo Two Generations. He joined the Penn State Hazleton faculty after retiring from Marywood and continues to teach mathematics on campus.
The George Tseo Memorial Lecture is held annually in memory of George Tseo, a professor of earth sciences at Penn State Hazleton from 1988 until his death in 2005. Established to honor Tseo's passion for learning and broad intellectual curiosity, the lecture series brings speakers from a wide range of disciplines to campus each year, including science, history, art, music and culture.
By highlighting the connections between mathematics and music, this year's lecture reflects the interdisciplinary spirit that Tseo championed throughout his career and offers attendees an opportunity to discover the unexpected ways in which different fields of knowledge intersect.