Hello! My name is Jadyn Breland and I am an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Grinnell College. I am a mathematician fascinated by the notion of symmetry, and I study it in two ways: through linear algebra (representation theory), and through counting (algebraic combinatorics). You can read more about both on my research page, and about how I teach on my teaching page.

I grew up in Tucson, Arizona and promptly moved to Flagstaff, Arizona to escape the heat and (little did I know) begin my mathematical career. I earned my Associate of Science from Coconino Community College in 2017, and then my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Northern Arizona University in 2019. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to do undergraduate research on the combinatorics of reduced words in Coxeter systems. This experience ultimately sent me on a path towards becoming a mathematician. I then moved to Santa Cruz, California to pursue a PhD in Mathematics. I received the Master of Arts in Mathematics from UC Santa Cruz in 2020 and completed my PhD in 2026 under the supervision of Robert Boltje. In August 2026 I joined the Mathematics Department at Grinnell College.

My biggest passion outside of mathematics is music. I played electric guitar in a Santa-Cruz-based band called Partial Disorder (yes, it is a play on the mathematical term partial order). I am also a huge fan of Buckethead, the world's greatest guitarist. My current favorite band isDream Theater. Other interests of mine include mountain biking, pool, and chess. Meet me at Rabbitt's Tavern for a game of pool, or challenge me to a game of chess on Lichess. Now that I live in Iowa, I will probably pick up running — everyone I have met here lists running as a hobby. I have yet to find out what it is they are running from.