UNC Asheville to Host Free and Open Lecture with Stephen Abbott, Middlebury College Professor of Mathematics

“The Mathematical Heart of Tom Stoppard” Explores the Intersection of Theater and Mathematics

The University of North Carolina Asheville Department of Mathematics and Statistics will host the annual Parsons Lecture on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Room of the Highsmith Student Union. This year’s lecture, titled “The Mathematical Heart of Tom Stoppard,” will feature Stephen Abbott, professor of mathematics at Middlebury College.

The event is free and open to the public.

Abbott’s lecture explores the enduring fascination with mathematics in the works of acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard. From Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which famously opens with an improbable sequence of coin flips, to later works including Arcadia and Leopoldstadt, Stoppard frequently incorporated mathematical ideas to examine questions of truth, logic, and the human experience.

With the help of local actors, Abbott will guide audiences through Stoppard’s five-decade exploration of mathematical concepts. The lecture highlights Stoppard’s belief in mathematics as a powerful tool for telling human stories and explores the creative possibilities at the intersection of mathematics and theater.

Abbott is a professor of mathematics at Middlebury College and has held visiting positions at Saint Olaf College, the University of Virginia, Cambridge University, and the University of Otago in New Zealand. Trained in real and functional analysis, Abbott has developed a longstanding interest in the connections between mathematics and theater. His recent book, The Proof Stage (Princeton University Press, 2023), examines how theatrical storytelling can illuminate mathematical ideas. Abbott is also the author of Understanding Analysis (Springer, 2015), former editor of Math Horizons, book review editor for The Mathematical Intelligencer, and theater events chair for the Bridges Organization, which explores connections between mathematics and the arts.

About the Parsons Lecture

In 1998, a UNC Asheville mathematics alum established an endowment in honor of Joe Parsons to fund this annual lecture series. The goal of the Parsons Lecture is to provide the UNC Asheville community and the public with the opportunity to hear from nationally recognized mathematicians presenting topics accessible to a general audience. Speakers are selected not only for their scholarly achievements but also for their skills as educators and communicators.

Joe Parsons joined Asheville-Biltmore College—now UNC Asheville—as the institution’s sole mathematics faculty member and later served as department chair for much of the 1970s. Throughout his career, Parsons also served as Dean of Students and Academic Dean, and played a key role in shaping the current campus, including the placement of the library overlooking Mt. Pisgah. He was instrumental in developing the college’s first four-year curriculum after joining the UNC System and was known for his dedication to students and engaging teaching style.The Parsons Lecture continues his legacy of excellence in mathematics education and community engagement.

For more information about the Parsons Lecture and related scholarship opportunities, visit the UNC Asheville Department of Mathematics and Statistics website.

About UNC Asheville

Founded in 1927, UNC Asheville is a proud member of the University of North Carolina System. With award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and 90+ academic programs in the natural sciences, human sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences, the University is recognized for its robust paid internship programs to prepare students to immediately enter the workforce. In the US News & World Report 2025 edition of Best Colleges, UNC Asheville is ranked No. #9 in Top Public Schools, and No. #7 in Princeton Review’s 2025 Top 50 Guide to Green Colleges. Known as the Bulldogs, UNC Asheville student-athletes compete in 16 NCAA Division I Teams in the Big South Conference. For more information, please visit: www.unca.edu.