I am an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Rice University. My pronouns are he/him/his.
You can find me in my office in HBH 324B, or you can reach me via email at richardwong[at]rice.edu.
In addition to teaching, I like thinking about algebraic topology. Prior to coming to Rice, I was at postdoc in the algebraic topology group at UCLA.
I received my Ph.D. in 2021 from the University of Texas at Austin, where I was advised by Andrew Blumberg. Previously I was an undergraduate at Rutgers University, where I graduated in 2015 with highest honors in mathematics and a minor in cognitive science.
- My CV was last updated August 2025.
- My Research Statement was last updated October 2023.
- My Teaching Statement was last updated October 2023.
- Sample Teaching Materials.
Joining Rice University
I am excited to join the Rice University Department of Mathematics as an assistant teaching professor.
I am part of a cluster hire in the HHMI Driving Change initiative. In particular, we are currently focusing on how calculus is taught at Rice.
Spring 2024
This quarter, I will be teaching Math 115A (Linear Algebra).
UCLA Student Petition
I was on the job market in the 2023-2024 academic year, and a few of my students started a petition to try to keep me on at UCLA. This petition gained a lot of traction on Reddit, and ended up with 673 UCLA student signatures. An article was written about it on The Daily Bruin.
It meant a lot to me to see the outpouring of student support, as well as all of the comments left by my former students. If you contributed in any way, thank you!
Teaching
Teaching and communicating mathematics is an important part of my mathematical identity, and I value the impact that I have as an educator. It is for this reason that I am committed to inclusive and equitable teaching that affirms and empowers students.
Research
My research interests are in computations in (equivariant, stable) homotopy theory. Click here for a undergraduate-level overview of what that means. In particular, I apply the computational methods of homotopy theory to answer questions about the modular representation theory of finite groups.
Outreach
I strongly believe that EVERYONE is capable of success in mathematics, and I am committed to making mathematics more accessible and inclusive for all.