"Hello, I'm Joe. I have a PhD in mathematics and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in mathematics. Starting high school, I disliked math, but in my junior year, I was lucky to meet a great teacher who sparked my passion for the subject, which continues to this day. He showed me how to see the forest for the trees, so to speak, so that disparate, confusing concepts became a coherent, logical whole in my mind. In my teaching and tutoring, I try to emulate my mentor by showing students the elegance, beauty, and utility of the subject. I focus on understanding and problem solving rather than rote learning. Also, I pay close attention to the student's current grasp of the subject matter, review needed background material, and adjust the pace of instruction accordingly. I have had the pleasure of converting a few math haters into math lovers, some of whom actually changed their major to math!

I have 15 years of experience at the college and pre-college level. I taught and tutored several students when I was a graduate teaching assistant earning my doctorate, and as a college professor for eight years. After my stint in academia, I worked for over two decades as a software engineer and data scientist (technical manager and individual contributor). My industry background gives me a a unique perspective on applying abstract theory to practical problems in marketing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance - all industries I have worked in. Incidentally, I am also fluent in Spanish, and am able to tutor in that language. (I visited Latin America many times, and spent a few weeks teaching there.)

I realize that teaching/tutoring is a two-way street: the student learns from the mentor, and the mentor learns from the student as well. I welcome suggestions, and especially new, creative ideas/approaches from my students. In life, learning never stops, and indeed, we are all students! Feel free to reach out with questions and schedule a lesson." less...