Count Me In

Today we feature a broad, thoughtful conversation with Dr. Ron Buckmire, Professor of Mathematics and Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Califronia. Ron was born in Grenada, grew up in the States, and earned his undergraduate, masters and PhD degrees from Renssalear Polytehnic Institute in Troy, New York. He studied applied mathematics and recently published Improving Applied Mathematics Education with Jessica Libertini in 2021. He has served as a Program Director in the NSF’s Division of Undergraduate Education in the Washington, DC area . In this conversation Ron talks about “leaving the campground cleaner than you found it,” the role of immigration in a professional life, the importance of funding, and expanding people through education and understanding.

Today we feature the second installment of our two-part conversation with the mathematician and musician, Dr. Eugenia Cheng, a Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, a concert pianist, and the author of several books including How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the mathematics of Mathematics, The art of logic: How to make sense in a world that doesn’t, and x + y: A mathematician’s manifesto for rethinking gender. Eugenia was born in the UK, earned three degrees from Cambridge including a PhD in category theory, and now lives in Chicago where she is dedicated to bringing mathematics to a wider audience. In this deeply personal conversation, we talk about the importance of doing things for other people, of the formative experiences of childhood, and of unexpected life experiences that shape us.

Today we feature the second installment of our two-part conversation with the mathematician and musician, Dr. Eugenia Cheng, a Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, a concert pianist, and the author of several books including How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the mathematics of Mathematics, The art of logic: How to make sense in a world that doesn’t, and x + y: A mathematician’s manifesto for rethinking gender. Eugenia was born in the UK, earned three degrees from Cambridge including a PhD in category theory, and now lives in Chicago where she is dedicated to bringing mathematics to a wider audience. In this deeply personal conversation, we talk about the importance of doing things for other people, of the formative experiences of childhood, and of unexpected life experiences that shape us.

Today we feature the first installment of a two-part conversation with the mathematician and musician, Dr. Eugenia Cheng, a Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, a concert pianist, and the author of several books including How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the mathematics of Mathematics, The art of logic: How to make sense in a world that doesn’t, and x + y: A mathematician’s manifesto for rethinking gender. Eugenia was born in the UK, earned three degrees from Cambridge, including a PhD in category theory, and now lives in Chicago where she is dedicated to bringing mathematics to a wider audience. In this deeply personal conversation, we talk about the importance of doing things for other people, of the formative experiences in childhood, and of unexpected life experiences that shape us.

Today we feature a delightful conversation with Ben Orlin, author of Math with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas That Shape Our Reality, Change Is the Only Constant: The Wisdom of Calculus in a Madcap World, and, as of April 2022, Math Games with Bad Drawings: 75 1/4 Simple, Challenging, Go-Anywhere Games—And Why They Matter. Ben grew up in Massachusetts, attended Yale as an undergraduate, and, as he puts it, has taught mathematics to every age between 12 and 18. He finds teaching an appealing career and is particularly interested in obstacles that keep people away from mathematics and how students experience failure in the discipline. In this conversation, you will hear about Ben’s teaching experiences in America and England, about how he started his wildly successful blog “math with bad drawings,” about his rhythm for writing, and about how he protects his sleep.

Today we feature a vibrant conversation with Moon Duchin, Professor of Mathematics at Tufts University where she oversees the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group which focuses their research on data science interventions for civil rights. Moon earned her undergraduate degrees in mathematics and women’s students from Harvard University and her masters and PhD in mathematics from the University of Chicago. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2018 and she has been a Fellow of the American Matheamtical Society since 2017. In this conversation, you will hear about Moon’s strategy to build the kind of community you want to be in, about how outreach energizes her, about her skill at working just about anywhere, and about how many of her favorite places in the world serve coffee.

Join Della Dumbaugh and Deanna Haunsperger this fall for Season 2 of Count Me In with Della and Deanna. Listen to interesting conversations with mathematicians about their personal stories of growing up. These conversations will give you insights into the many paths people take to find their way to a career in mathematics and the many people who help them along the way. You can listen to colleagues talk about moments when they felt like they were part of a community—and moments they struggled to feel like they belong. You will laugh out loud when you hear the funny items colleagues keep on their desks and jump to your feet when you hear their go-to energizing songs. Please join us for six Mondays, beginning October 24.

Today we feature a heart-felt conversation with Dr. Tensia Soto, Professor of Mathematics at Colorado State University. As a very small child, she grew up in a 2-room adobe home in Mexico. She moved to Nebraska soon after and lived on a farm with her 8 brothers and sisters. Tensia earned her undergraduate and masters degrees in mathematics education at Chadron State College. She earned her PhD in mathematics education from the University of Northern Colorado. Her research focuses on the teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics where she embraces an Embodied Cognition perspective in her work. She currently serves as Associate Secretary of the Mathematical Association of America and recently received the MAA Haimo Award for Distinguished University Teaching. This conversation with Tensia underscores the influential role of an advisor, the importance of setting goals and outlining plans to achieve them, and the balance of work and care in a life. So, please join us as we talk with Tensia.

Today we feature a delightful conversation with Lloyd Douglas, a mathematician who spent the vast majority of his career outside of academics. Lloyd grew up in Brooklyn, New York where he attended a high school focused on Engineering that had, as you will learn in the conversation, a really distinctive mascot. He earned his undergraduate degree at the City University of New York and his Master’s degree at Miami University in Ohio. Lloyd took his first job with the Navy where he worked on simulation and computer programming for submarines and torpedoes. Eventually, he found his way to the National Science Foundation where, among other positions, he served as a program officer and supported many programs that went on to make a difference in the lives of students, including various REU’s, the Carleton Summer Math Program, and the EDGE program. This conversation with Lloyd highlights excellence as a foundation for success in life, the importance of a teacher recognizing and identifying talent in a student, and an interesting perspective on organization. So, please join us as we talk with Lloyd.

Today we have a lively and joyful conversation with Dr. Alicia Prieto Langarica, professor of mathematics at Youngstown State University. Alecia grew up in Mexico where she competed in the Mexican Mathematical Olympiad. She earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Texas at Dallas and her PhD from the University of Texas Arlington. Her research focuses on the intersection of mathematics and biology, specifically problems related to the medical field. She is one of the four co-founders of Lathisms, a website that features Hispanic and Latinx mathematicians, their research, and their contributions.

She received the MAA’s Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2019.

This conversation with Alecia highlights the importance of compassion and empathy in the classroom and beyond, the role of a far-reaching vision for mathematics in the community, and the value of a creative space to explore mathematics and ideas. So, please join us as we talk with Alecia.