personal photo of Peter Alspaugh

Peter Alspaugh

Tagline:Undergraduate math student at the University of South Florida

Tampa, FL, USA

About Me

While I'm currently a student at the University of South Florida, I am originally from the Longmont and Boulder area of Colorado. Since May 2024, I've been conducting research with the USF Knot Theory group, where I am interested in algebraic automata theory. My current project revolves around splicing languages, which model DNA recombination. I am interested in the problem of separating two regular languages with a (finite) splicing language.

In March 2025, I was awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship as one of 441 selected scholars–20 of whom were from the Mathematical Sciences. Since April 2024, I have been President of the Florida Epsilon chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon at USF.

Below is a list of my papers and selected awards, work experiences, and conference presentations. For a full list, see my CV at the bottom.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts

    from: 2022, until: present

    Field of study:MathematicsSchool:University of South FloridaLocation:Tampa, FL

    Description
    • Pure Math Concentration
    • GPA 3.98 Overall, 4.0 at USF

Research Interests

  • Semigroup Theory
  • Algebraic Automata Theory
  • Profinite Semigroups
  • Rewriting Systems & the Word Problem

Publications, Preprints, and Other Work

  • Structures of Monoids Motivated by DNA Origami

    Journal ArticlePublisher:Recommended for publication with minor revisions at Semigroup ForumDate:2025
    Authors:
    Peter AlspaughJames GarrettNatasa JonoskaMasahico Saito
    arXiv

Honors & Awards

  • Nominated by University of South Florida for Churchill Scholarship

    date: 2025-05-07

  • USF Pi Mu Epsilon Outstanding Scholar Award

    date: 2025-05-02

    Issuer:Pi Mu Epsilon and University of South Florida Department of Mathematics & Statistics

  • Inducted to Phi Beta Kappa

    date: 2025-04-25

    Issuer:USF Phi Beta Kappa

    Description:

    PBK is the nation’s oldest honor society and focuses on the liberal arts and sciences.

  • Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship

    date: 2025-03-28

    Issuer:Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation

    Description:

    Established in 1989 to memorialize longtime Arizona senator and 1968 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, the Barry M. Goldwater scholarship is often cited as the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate STEM award.

Work Experiences

  • Student/Research Assistant

    from: 2024, until: present

    Organization:University of South FloridaLocation:Tampa, FL

    Description:
    • USF Knot Theory Group
    • Position title changes but work stays the same
    Knot Theory Group Website

  • Associate Editor

    from: 2024, until: present

    Organization:American Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics

    Description:
    • Revamped the Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling to be AJPAM.
    • Journal focused on advanced undergraduate and graduate student publications, though all researchers are welcome to submit.

Conferences

  • MAA Florida Chapter Annual Meeting, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

    From: 2025

    Presentation

  • Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology Final Annual Symposium, Georgia Institute of Technology

    From: 2025

    Poster

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

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