Smith Library Center
Coral Reef and Book Display
Open gallery
Credit: Theresa Zelasko
The library’s newest display features not only books, but crocheted coral created by Southwestern students, faculty, and alumni. This interdisciplinary display features art, math, and books on coral reef ecology.
Associate Professor of Mathematics Fumiko Futamura organized students and faculty to create a hyperbolic crochet coral reef for a table at the Hot Science Cool Talks event on coral reefs at the University of Texas on Feb. 16.
To prepare for the event, Futamura gave talks on hyperbolic geometry and crochet at SU for the 107 Lecture in Mathematics and for the Art Association, and taught students, faculty and staff how to crochet hyperbolic planes that incidentally look like coral.
Ten members of the Southwestern University community contributed: Kari Darr ’20, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics Linda DiLullo, Associate Professor of Mathematics Fumiko Futamura, Christi Ho ’16, Abigail Jendrusch ’20, Jacob Jimerson ’20, Chris Nissen ’19, faculty spouse Elissa Schrum, Aiden Steinle ’20, Natalie Young ’20.
Christi, Jacob, and Aiden attended the event, teaching the public about hyperbolic geometry and how to crochet.
The coral reef will be on display in the front lobby of Smith Library Center from March 20 to the end of the semester.
The books, Christi Ho’s three-dimensional coral reef, and Julia O’Bryan’s porcelain bowl, are all on display in the Periodicals Reading Room.
All books are available for checkout.
