▁especially ▁its ▁relations ▁to ▁theoretical ▁physics . ▁ ▁Mor r ison ▁studied ▁at ▁Pr inc eton ▁University ▁with ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁at ▁Harvard ▁University ▁with ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁and ▁Ph D ▁under ▁Phill ip ▁Griff ith s ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁with ▁th esis ▁Sem ist able ▁D eg ener ations ▁of ▁En ri ques ' ▁and ▁Hyper elli ptic ▁Sur faces . ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁instruct or ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁an ▁assistant ▁professor ▁at ▁Pr inc eton ▁University ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁academic ▁year ▁ 1 9 8 4 – 1 9 8 5 ▁a ▁visit ing ▁scient ist ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ky oto ▁( as ▁Fellow ▁der ▁Japan ▁Society ▁for ▁the ▁Prom otion ▁of ▁Science ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁associate ▁professor ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁mathematics ▁at ▁Duke ▁University ▁and ▁then ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁" James ▁B . ▁Duke ▁Professor ▁of ▁Mathemat ics ▁and ▁Physics ". ▁While ▁at ▁Duke , ▁Mor r ison ▁ad vised ▁multiple ▁Ph D ▁students , ▁including ▁Anton ella ▁Gr ass i ▁and ▁Car ina ▁Cur to . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Santa ▁Barbara . ▁ ▁Although ▁Mor r ison ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁math ematic ian ▁in ▁classical