The Mathematics Department is pleased to welcome into our community one visiting professor, Murat Kol, as well as several new instructors (in the past 12 months), Ali Ahammed Mozumder, Derek Eby, Lee Klingler, Gazi Mahmud Alam, Nina Gydé, and Christine Hoogendyk!
Ali Ahammad Mozumder
Ali Ahammed Mozumder received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2021 and 2022, respectively, under the supervision of Prof. Susan Minkoff and John Zweck. Dr. Ali's research interests include mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of photoacoustic trace gas sensors, sensitivity analysis, and scientific computing. He spent 11 years teaching various levels of mathematics across multiple public and private colleges in Bangladesh after receiving his B.Sc. and M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Dhaka.
“To me, teaching mathematics entails establishing a friendly academic relationship with students so that they feel comfortable asking questions and motivated to put in the extra effort required to succeed in the course. I don't want my students to believe what I tell them without questioning what, how, when, and why. When I see my students' sparkling eyes, glowing faces, and priceless smiles as they learn from me, it gives me a heavenly feeling.” - Ali Ahammed Mozumder
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching television news.
Derek Eby
Derek Eby earned a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Indianapolis in 2009, and an M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2012. His research was in the probability and statistics field developing a method to fractionally difference autoregressive integrated moving average time series. He has spent 11 years teaching math, most of that full-time at as an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau and back at his alma-mater CU Boulder as a lecturer. In between those stints, he also ran a private consulting business for data analysis in the natural science and educational fields as well as translating projects for various universities.
"I believe teaching mathematics is my calling and there is no such thing as ‘not a math person’; it is merely a subject that is understood in widely different ways and at varying levels of mastery. My job and challenge is getting students to the appropriate level of math for use in their careers and teaching them in the way that they learn best." - Derek Eby
As an instructor at Oregon State University, he is excited to join wonderful teams of teachers as well as a large cohort of colleagues that is already impressive. He has now lived in at least six different states, has visited all 50, and enjoys traveling domestically and internationally. He likes music, sports, and outdoor activities wherever he is but especially loves the PNW, nature and disc golf, as well as having his cat and partner in his Corvallis home!
Lee Klingler
Lee Klingler earned a BA in mathematics and philosophy from Lebanon Valley College and an MS and PhD in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a long time ago. He spent his professional career at Florida Atlantic University, from which he retired last August. His mathematical research has centered around commutative ring theory and modules over Noetherian rings, but he also has a deep interest in the teaching and learning of mathematics, at all levels. Before his retirement, he helped design Learning Assistant materials for precalculus and calculus classes, and he looks forward to working with students at Oregon State University.
Murat Kol
Murat Kol earned B.Sc. in Mathematics Education, M.Sc. in Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, and Ph.D. in Secondary Science and Mathematics Education in 1999, 2014, and 2022 respectively at Middle East Technical University (METU). After graduation, he worked as a mathematics teacher, textbook author, and administrator at various school levels for 12 years. During this teaching experience, he realized that if technology is used effectively, it can make a significant contribution to mathematics education. By carrying this awareness to the academic field, he decided to carry out his academic studies at the center of technology in mathematics education. In addition to technology, he continues his academic research on teacher education, mathematical modeling, mathematical reasoning, argumentation, and proof. Calculus and discrete mathematics are the subjects he enjoys teaching the most. In addition, mathematics education method lessons, in which he especially enjoys sharing his experiences about classroom dynamics with prospective teachers, are among his favorites.
Gazi Mahmud Alam
Dr. Alam (he/him/his) received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in May 2022. His dissertation was related to solving control problems for partial differential equations on quantum graphs. Dr. Alam earned his MS in Applied Mathematics at Stockholm University, Sweden in April 2013. His MS thesis was on the Iterative Solution of Large Scale Statistical Inverse Problems at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Germany. Before joining as a Ph.D. student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks he worked as an assistant professor at the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Bangladesh. Previously, he worked as a lecturer and assistant professor at the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT), Bangladesh.
I believe that every student has a unique learning style and is well-equipped for learning mathematics. As a teacher, I strive to create an environment that fosters a student-centered learning approach inspired by the famous quote of Benjamin Franklin, "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Gazi Mahmud Alam
A few of his favorite subjects include Ordinary Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations, Operations Research, and Numerical Analysis. He enjoys traveling, running, playing badminton, and watching cricket in his free time.
Nina Gydé
Nina Gydé earned a BA in Mathematics at the University of Oregon, and also completed their Secondary Education program for Oregon teaching certification in Advanced Mathematics. She earned her MA in Mathematics at Oregon State University with an emphasis in Applied Mathematics. She has held teaching positions at colleges, community colleges, and K-12 public schools in Oregon and Washington, and is excited to return to Oregon State. In addition to her specialty of Applied Mathematics, Nina's academic interests include Music, Physics, Curriculum & Instruction, Biology, and Engineering.
Christine Hoogendyk
Christine Hoogendyk (she/her/hers) earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona in 2019 and her M.S. in Mathematics from Oregon State University in 2022 under the guidance of Mary Beisiegel. She enjoys learning about mathematics education and enjoys looking for new ways to introduce the topics in the courses she teaches.
“Math classrooms can be a scary place for many students. Making mistakes are a big part of learning anything new, but especially mathematics. However, students often feel as though making mistakes is bad in math because there should be a correct answer. When I teach, I want my students to know that I’m there to help them grow their knowledge and not to judge them for where they started or where they are at.” - Christine Hoogendyk
In her free time, Christine is often swimming, doing ceramics, or playing some video games to wind down.
