Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ)

What is your educational background?

I earned a B.S. in mathematics from Spelman College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in applied mathematics from North Carolina State University.

What is the best part of what you do?

As a mathematics professor, I love to witness my students’ “AHA” moments when they finally get a mathematical concept they’ve been struggling with.

Why do you like mathematics and/or statistics?

I love to apply mathematical and computational techniques to solve real-world problems, particularly in the sciences.

What resources have helped you?

I have taken advantage of a wide variety of resources in my career as an applied mathematician. When I need to solve a problem, I refer to books and periodicals, the internet, and then people. Google is my homepage on my office and home computers. I also refer to www.onelook.com and www.wikipedia.org frequently. I heard that mental math will prolong your life, so I rarely use a calculator to add, subtract, multiply or divide. For tougher computations, I typically use MATLAB.

What do you like to do for fun?

I am a movie buff. I love to travel and I enjoy outdoor activities. I like downloading new music to my IPOD. I love playing cards and board games with family and friends and I like watching basketball and football games.

What was the best piece of advice you received?

Be your own advocate; do not wait for anyone to advocate for you.

What do most people not know about mathematics/mathematicians?

Mathematicians do more than teach.