About me
After twenty five years as the chair of the Engineering Department, I made the switch in 2015 to the Math Department. My goal is, as it has always been, to make the students' academic experience as challenging and rewarding as was my professional experience at GE, Lockheed, and IBM.
Indeed, my work in industry was challenging and rewarding. It combined intense computational and analytical work in a variety of engineering disciplines ranging from simulation modeling of the flight of neutrons inside BW reactors to Telemetry. And from studies of the Thermal properties of the Space Shuttle tiles to classified military data acquisition systems in the Electromagnetic Threat Environment.
In the Spring of 1975, a fellow General Electric engineer, who had a skiing accident, asked me to substitute for his Numerical Analysis class at De Anza College. That led to a parallel teaching career as adjunct professor at De Anza, San Jose State University, and the University of California Extension, while I was still in Industry.
In 1989, I was granted a two-year teaching leave of absence form IBM to teach full time at De Anza College, where the Dean eventually invited me to joined De Anza's faculty as the chair of the Engineering Department (1990-2015). I co-founded two Technical Writing agencies in the Silicon Valley and have done extensive consulting in the area of Data Base Administration and Design. I hold a BS in Physics from San Jose State University, and MS CS/EE Santa Clara University.
PS: Sorry, my hair is not as black anymore!!!
My teaching Style
My teaching style can be summarized in three words:
1. Marvel
2. Experience
3. Learn
It is based on the Socratic Method, which is asking and answering questions with questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. And on the Aristotelian axiom that education is premised on the ideals of freedom of choice and individual responsibility for one’s development and success.
My teaching philosophy
My approach to teaching is based on the following basic beliefs, a variation of which I learned and practiced during my years in industry:
1. Respect for the individual.
2. Dedication to every student’s success.
3. Teaching excellence.
However, these basic beliefs are predicated on mutual respect and commitment to learning on the part of the student. I like to think that it is these basic beliefs which explain the touchingly positive responses from former successful students ( see "Success Stories" tab).
.My teaching disclaimer: I do not perform miracles!
Like a coach in sports, I teach the rules of the game. It is up to the student to catch the ball and run with it! Also, paraphrasing Alexander the Great: "Unlike the narrow-minded, I make no distinction between my students. The origin of students, or race into which they were born, is of no concern to me. I have only one criterion by which to distinguish them, Academic performance." [1]
It is not my style to be harsh or hasty in my judgments, but it goes against my professional ethics to let a student continue on a substandard level of knowledge--not a royal road to popularity. I believe it hurts the student, the college, and society when professors don’t give an honest evaluation of a student’s performance. Therefore, if lack of commitment (phone-junkies), lack of preparation, disrespect for me or the learning process is your modus operandi, stay away. Otherwise, you may, indeed, find me to be obnoxious, hard to deal with, and the worst teacher you ever had! Bottom line: .Learning is about taking responsibility and not about making excuses.
However, I am very supportive of students who are serious about their studies and take responsibility for their education because I firmly believe on that enduring aphorism: Heaven helps those who help themselves.
________________________________
[1] Paraphrasing from Alexander the Great's oath at Opis in 324 B.C.
After twenty five years as the chair of the Engineering Department, I made the switch in 2015 to the Math Department. My goal is, as it has always been, to make the students' academic experience as challenging and rewarding as was my professional experience at GE, Lockheed, and IBM.
Indeed, my work in industry was challenging and rewarding. It combined intense computational and analytical work in a variety of engineering disciplines ranging from simulation modeling of the flight of neutrons inside BW reactors to Telemetry. And from studies of the Thermal properties of the Space Shuttle tiles to classified military data acquisition systems in the Electromagnetic Threat Environment.
In the Spring of 1975, a fellow General Electric engineer, who had a skiing accident, asked me to substitute for his Numerical Analysis class at De Anza College. That led to a parallel teaching career as adjunct professor at De Anza, San Jose State University, and the University of California Extension, while I was still in Industry.
In 1989, I was granted a two-year teaching leave of absence form IBM to teach full time at De Anza College, where the Dean eventually invited me to joined De Anza's faculty as the chair of the Engineering Department (1990-2015). I co-founded two Technical Writing agencies in the Silicon Valley and have done extensive consulting in the area of Data Base Administration and Design. I hold a BS in Physics from San Jose State University, and MS CS/EE Santa Clara University.
PS: Sorry, my hair is not as black anymore!!!
My teaching Style
My teaching style can be summarized in three words:
1. Marvel
2. Experience
3. Learn
It is based on the Socratic Method, which is asking and answering questions with questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. And on the Aristotelian axiom that education is premised on the ideals of freedom of choice and individual responsibility for one’s development and success.
My teaching philosophy
My approach to teaching is based on the following basic beliefs, a variation of which I learned and practiced during my years in industry:
1. Respect for the individual.
2. Dedication to every student’s success.
3. Teaching excellence.
However, these basic beliefs are predicated on mutual respect and commitment to learning on the part of the student. I like to think that it is these basic beliefs which explain the touchingly positive responses from former successful students ( see "Success Stories" tab).
.My teaching disclaimer: I do not perform miracles!
Like a coach in sports, I teach the rules of the game. It is up to the student to catch the ball and run with it! Also, paraphrasing Alexander the Great: "Unlike the narrow-minded, I make no distinction between my students. The origin of students, or race into which they were born, is of no concern to me. I have only one criterion by which to distinguish them, Academic performance." [1]
It is not my style to be harsh or hasty in my judgments, but it goes against my professional ethics to let a student continue on a substandard level of knowledge--not a royal road to popularity. I believe it hurts the student, the college, and society when professors don’t give an honest evaluation of a student’s performance. Therefore, if lack of commitment (phone-junkies), lack of preparation, disrespect for me or the learning process is your modus operandi, stay away. Otherwise, you may, indeed, find me to be obnoxious, hard to deal with, and the worst teacher you ever had! Bottom line: .Learning is about taking responsibility and not about making excuses.
However, I am very supportive of students who are serious about their studies and take responsibility for their education because I firmly believe on that enduring aphorism: Heaven helps those who help themselves.
________________________________
[1] Paraphrasing from Alexander the Great's oath at Opis in 324 B.C.