Dr. Egon Schulte is a Professor in Mathematics and the Chair of the Mathematics Department at Northeastern. His main areas of expertise include Discrete and Combinatorial Geometry, Combinatorics, and Group Theory, and his recent teaching activities have focused on graduation education and the supervision of PhD students. Egon witnessed Bridge to Calculus grow from a small outreach program for Boston area high-school students, launched by his former colleague, Bob Case, about 25 years ago, to a vibrant program of modest size based on an alliance between Northeastern University’s Mathematics Department and the Boston Public Schools. The program is as much about college access for underserved high-school students as it is about Calculus and mathematics! Egon has been part of the team reinvigorating Bridge to Calculus this year including implementing the Math Question Center, a new program component added in 2020 to support students throughout the academic year.

After being rescued from failing eight-grade mathematics by an inspiring algebra teacher Professor Porter went on to receive his PhD in mathematics from Yale university. At Northeastern, he has served as Vice President of Cooperative Education and Chair of the Mathematics Department as well as professor of mathematics.

Professor Porter’s research focuses on algebraic constructions related to geometric problems and then using the algebraic constructions to solve geometric problems. He has given invited lectures on his mathematics research throughout the country and Europe. He has been visiting professor at the Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, France; the University of Sussex England, and the Max Planck Institute in Bonn, Germany.

Through his teaching, his work in support of cooperative education, and a multiyear grant from the Science Science Foundation to promote the excitement of research and discovery for first-year college students, Professor Porter aims to encourage and support students to shape their future through learning. This is a critical goal of the Bridge to Calculus program, and he is honored to be a member of the team.

Rajini Jesudason teaches mathematics at Northeastern University and directs Northeastern Math Departments signature outreach program, Bridge to Calculus, which has been running in partnership with Boston Public Schools for over 25 years. In the past, Raj was Program Director in Mathematics, serving the Boston Public Schools. Raj has taught and worked closely with teachers in the Boston, Cambridge and Watertown Public School districts, and has played a leading role in state initiatives for asset-based instruction and teacher development in mathematics education. Raj’s experience in higher education includes serving as a Dean of Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering at Foothill Community College in California, teaching QuantitativeReasoning and Pre-Calculus mathematics at Harvard University,co-implementing a Quantitative Reasoning Program at Wellesley College, and teaching in the teacher education programs both at UMass Boston and Wheelock Colleges.

Raj has presented her work at regional conferences, including the Southern California Community College Consortium, MathWest conference in Massachusetts, Quantitative Literacy Consortium of the Northwest, BU’s Aframath conference and at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government’s Black Policy conference.

Raj has an Ed. M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

As a Boston Public Schools alum and the salutatorian of her graduating class, Daniela was awarded the Boston Public High School Scholarship by Northeastern University and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business. She is a proud Latina and Bridge to Calculus alum excited to have had the opportunity to participate in the BtC Question Center over the summer and to continue to provide mentorship to BPS students through the BtC program. Daniela is also grateful to be part of the Bridge to Calculus Committee and be able to advocate for the program and for the needs of BPS students.

Mr. Howland has an extensive history with Boston Public Schools (BPS), as a “homegrown” student educated in the district grades K-12. Mr. Howland is a graduate of Boston Latin School (BLS) and worked in BPS for almost five decades as a teacher and administrator. He has served as headmaster of Another Course to College, an administrator in charge of discipline at the former Jamaica Plain High School, and head of the math department at The English High School. Additionally, Mr. Howland served as interim associate headmaster at his alma mater BLS. More recently, in the winter of the 2018-19 school year, Mr. Howland filled in as interim head of school at Boston Latin Academy.

A veteran math teacher and an attorney who has long instructed students in law and in mock trials, he has earned Boston’s “Golden Apple” and the Massachusetts “Teacher of the Year” awards. He was also nominated as a finalist for “National Teacher of the Year.”

Tony Iarrobino is a professor in Northeastern’s Department of Mathematics. He has expertise in algebraic geometry, commutative rings and their deformations, commuting nilpotent matrices, families of points on a variety, gorenstein algebras, and singularities of maps.

Beth Qudah is the budget coordinator for the Math Department at Northeastern University. However, she has been involved with Bridge to Calculus for over a decade and has supported the program and watched it grow. She is delighted to see it take root and to be such an integral part of it.

Rekha Bai is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Northeastern’s Department of Mathematics.

Kutub Gandhi is a PhD student at Northeastern studying games, specifically how games can make us think about ourselves and the world around us. In his spare time he loves going rock climbing, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and exploring Boston!

Luis Garcia is a PhD student at Northeastern researching human-computer interaction through games. He’s interested in developing game AI that players can interact with meaningfully. For fun, Luis likes reading, making procedural art, and petting his cat, Ziti.

Prof. Adrian Feiguin grew up and obtained his education in his home country, Argentina. He earned his PhD in Physics from the National University of Rosario in 2000, when he moved to the US to continue his research. After postdoctoral stays in the National High Magnetic Field Lab (Tallahassee, FL) and UC Irvine, he joined Microsoft Research to study the feasibility of building a quantum computer based on novel topological states of matter. He joined Northeastern in 2012.

Prof. Feiguin got interested in computers and programming at an early age. He learned to code by programming games for Tandy and Commodore 64 computers, before the advent of the PC. When it was clear that he wanted to study physics, it made sense to combine it with his passion for games and computers. His research involves developing algorithms and using computer simulations to understand phases of matter of quantum origin, such as magnetism and superconductivity.

Prof. Feiguin is fascinated by the pedagogical challenges of teaching quantum mechanics. The probabilistic interpretation of quantum theory (“God does not play dice!”) remains one of the most puzzling unresolved questions in physics.

Kledia Spiro creates videos, performances, installations, and paintings. Kledia was born in Albania and was part of an olympic weightlifting team. She uses strength and weightlifting as a symbol of survival, empowerment, and celebration. Weightlifting becomes a vehicle for discussing women’s role in society, immigration, and times of war. She is currently a Post Graduate Teaching Fellow at Northeastern University. For fun, Kledia likes the outdoors, swimming, and talking about art with friends.

Colin McCormick is a graduating high school student from Lynnfield Massachusetts. He started his own non-profit organization — The FMG Robotics Association — dedicated to improving STEM education in New England. He’s had a passion for robotics since youth and uses his projects as a chance to inspire the next generation of engineers. He has spoken at a variety of high schools and universities advocating for networking and pursuing your career at a young age.

Luis Brens is a photographer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Luis graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with two bachelors in photography and Printmaking. He has been a professor of photography at Northeastern for over decade. Luis likes motorcycles, outdoor sports and is very passionate of music.

Althea Bennett is an art teacher at Boston Public Schools who is a Boston native herself. “As an arts educator, my teaching is hip hop, with that I mean it is a pastiche of history, culture, art, respect, representation, expression, and experimentation. My classroom is tranquil yet active, a sculpture classroom open to all mediums. Through my lesson plans and the experiences, I give my students opportunities to uncover their personal histories to understand their futures. My students discover new connection with materials and techniques, being innovative and resourceful. My students are expressive, inquisitive, and inspired in the classroom, art is a tool they can be used to share their thoughts, feeling, and opinions.”

Ellie Schimelman graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1960 with a degree in Art Education. She was an art teacher and supervisor in public schools for over 20 years and taught adult education classes in the Boston area. She was also a professional potter and part owner of the Cambridge Artists Cooperative crafts gallery in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.

Always attracted to African art, Ellie took her first trip to Ghana in 1978. Since then she has returned many times to research and study traditional crafts, do volunteer teaching and take people on crafts and culturally centered tours of Ghana. She now devotes herself full-time to directing Cross Cultural Collaborative, Inc. and facilitating workshops held at its cultural center in Ghana.

Dan grew up in Israel. After completing his military service he immigrated to the US in 1990 to pursue a Ph.D. in Mathematics at MIT, in the field of Algebraic Topology. After graduating in 1994 Dan taught at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem for a year and then left academia to pursue a career in high tech. He worked at EMC Corporation for many years, developing products for business continuity and disaster recovery. Dan spent a few years with two startups, and recently worked at Google on the infrastructure for live-streaming over YouTube. In 2018 he retired and since then has dedicated his time to studying a few areas of mathematics, primarily the Robertson-Seymour theory of graph minors, and the theory and practice of machine-assisted mathematical proofs. In his spare time, Dan loves baking and reading.

Robert received his PhD in Mathematics from Northwestern University. His research interests lie at the intersection of microlocal analysis of spectral problems arising from quantum mechanics, probability, and complex geometry.

Aliska is math education researcher and professor in Northeastern’s Department of Mathematics. Her research interests include college freshman retention, mathematical agency, and novel mathematical representations.

Dr. Bindu Veetel teaches Mathematics at Northeastern University and is the coordinator of the Bridge to Calculus (BtC) program. She has been associated with Northeastern from 2007, initially as a student and later as instructor. She received her PhD from Northeastern in 2014 in the area of partial differential equations. Within Northeastern’s Mathematics department, Bindu has been teaching various levels of courses in Calculus, Statistics etc. and coordinating one of the largest math courses in the department.

Additionally, she teaches online courses for Elementary School teachers at Grand Canyon University. In the past, she has also taught at Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston) and Mount Carmel College (Bangalore, India).

Her research is in the area of Partial Differential Equations, with a focus on Inverse Problems which has applications in areas like cancer research. She inspires students to focus on the beauty and compelling influence that Mathematics has in the rapidly evolving world.

Rajini Jesudason teaches mathematics at Northeastern University and directs Northeastern Math Departments signature outreach program, Bridge to Calculus, which has been running in partnership with Boston Public Schools for over 25 years. In the past, Raj was Program Director in Mathematics, serving the Boston Public Schools. Raj has taught and worked closely with teachers in the Boston, Cambridge and Watertown Public School districts, and has played a leading role in state initiatives for asset-based instruction and teacher development in mathematics education. Raj’s experience in higher education includes serving as a Dean of Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering at Foothill Community College in California, teaching QuantitativeReasoning and Pre-Calculus mathematics at Harvard University,co-implementing a Quantitative Reasoning Program at Wellesley College, and teaching in the teacher education programs both at UMass Boston and Wheelock Colleges.

Raj has presented her work at regional conferences, including the Southern California Community College Consortium, MathWest conference in Massachusetts, Quantitative Literacy Consortium of the Northwest, BU’s Aframath conference and at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government’s Black Policy conference.

Raj has an Ed. M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Chris King grew up in Ireland where he enjoyed exploring wild landscapes and listening to Irish music. His love of science fiction and puzzle-solving led him into a scientific career, and he was a professor of mathematics at Northeastern University. Chris supported Bridge to Calculus over many years and contributed to both Calculus Field Day and the Summer Program. He enjoyed being a part of the Question Center and sharing time with the young scholars from BPS.

An artist, a computer engineer and master’s student who is currently pursuing an MS in Applied Mathematics. With a passion for both mathematics and technology, I bring a blend of analytical skills and computational expertise to help guide and mentor students in their mathematical journey. My diverse background and passion to teach help me tackle complex problem-solving and I’m all about fostering a love for math in everyone I work with. Let’s dive into the world of numbers together!

As a Boston Public Schools alum and the salutatorian of her graduating class, Daniela was awarded the Boston Public High School Scholarship by Northeastern University and recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business. She is a proud Latina and Bridge to Calculus alum excited to have the opportunity to participate in the BtC Question Center and to continue to provide mentorship to BPS students, especially Spanish-speaking students, through the BtC program in 2023. Daniela is also grateful to be part of the Bridge to Calculus Committee and be able to advocate for the program and for the needs of BPS students.

I am a master’s student in applied mathematics at Northeastern University, driven by a passion for problem-solving and data science. Beyond academics, I find joy in reading, taking long walks, immersing myself in music, and embarking on culinary adventures by experimenting with recipes!

Pirasath Rajh A R is. a motorcycle-riding, travel enthusiast currently pursuing a master’s in Engineering Management. With a passion for capturing the world through photography, he hails from an automotive background, having worked for the country biggest automotive manufacturer. Now, his sights are set on a new venture as he transitions towards tech product management, seeking to fuse his engineering expertise with the limitless potential of the technology industry. Combining his adventurous spirit, technical know-how, and keen eye for innovation, Pirasath is poised to leave an indelible mark on the ever-evolving landscape of cutting-edge products and redefine what’s possible in the tech world.

Kashish Patel is an aspiring Product Marketing Manager currently pursuing her second Master’s in Project Management at Northeastern University. With a background in marketing and three years of experience as a digital marketer, she possesses both creativity and organizational skills. Kashish also serves as the EVP of Social Media at NUSHRM (Northeastern University’s Society of Human Resource Management) and is a Global Student Mentor at the Office of Global Students, Northeastern University. Apart from her professional pursuits, she takes great joy in teaching, exploring the city, trying new recipes, and embracing the challenge of learning a new language. Kashish believes in the power of creativity and positivity and brings a passion for bringing order to any endeavor she undertakes.

Amit is a rising second year at Northeastern. Amit says, “I’ve been privileged to have met some great teachers throughout my life and I’m happy to have this opportunity to pass on what they’ve taught in my own style! Thank you to Dr. Veetel for running this program behind the scenes, to my fellow mentors who are an absolute pleasure to work with, and of course to the kids, who show up despite the summer break.”

Kaustubh Khedekar is a graduate student at Northeastern University. I am passionate about data and to me, data is a compilation of countless stories that hold the key to understanding the world around us. But life is not just about crunching numbers and analyzing data; it is an exciting journey filled with countless opportunities to explore, create, and capture breathtaking moments. My heart beats for adventure, and I have a keen interest in hiking, cycling, stargazing, and photography.

Jared is currently a master’s student studying mathematics here at Northeastern. Jared loves reading, watching movies, and listening to music!

Michael is a rising second year and mechanical engineering major at Northeastern and was a former participant in Calculus field day in 2021 and took AP Calculus BC in the following year. Michael’s interests lie in robotics and aerospace, and currently has an ongoing personal project of building a miniature autonomous vehicle at a low cost.

John Bibilos is a second year at Northeastern University studying business administration with concentrations in finance and accounting, as well as a minor in economics. John decided to become a mentor to make a difference by helping these high school students in subjects such as pre-calculus and art, as well as helping them become financially literate. In his free time, John enjoys playing sports, mostly basketball and spike ball, working out, and going on runs, as well as art or playing video games.

Born and raised in Attleboro, MA, Saharla Yusuf is a rising-second year studying computer science and business administration and is passionate about equitable education and advocacy work. In their free time, Saharla loves to try new restaurants and listen to music.

Sophie Fleysher is a rising fourth year majoring in mathematics and business administration with a concentration in finance, originally from New York City. Sophie has completed two co-ops, first as an Internal Audit Analyst at Fidelity Investments and second on the Executive Services team at Bain Capital. Outside of class and co-op, Sophie leads a club called Smart Woman Securities (SWS) which aims to teach women the basics of finance and investing, and have given numerous personal finance talks to other clubs as well. Outside of school and work, Sophie enjoys playing piano, tennis, and baking.

As a game programming mentor, Nithyasri bring expertise in software development and a passion for empowering students to explore the world of game development. With a strong background in computer science and as a master’s student at Northeastern, Nithyasri is dedicated to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment for mentees in the Bridge to Calculus program

Ritesh is an eager and diligent graduate student at Northeastern, with a passion for data and coding. Always ready to learn, help, and grow together to achieve academic excellence in every endeavor, Ritesh is excited to contribute to the success of the Bridge to Calculus program.

Pablo Flores Muñoz is a biochemistry major in the College of Science with a business administration minor. Pablo became a Bridge to Calculus mentor because they’re very passionate about helping high school students in the Boston area succeed academically.

Sai Varun Namburi currently enjoys the fulfilling role of being the photography mentor in the Bridge to Calculus summer program. Sai’s passion for photography drives them to capture mesmerizing moments and share their knowledge of camera settings and techniques with all the students. Beyond photography, Sai is pursuing an MS in Data Analytics Engineering. Data analysis and deriving insights fascinate them, and they are determined to harness this expertise to make an impact in the world of data-driven decisions.

Jiewei Feng earned their Ph.D. in Mathematics at Northeastern University. Jeiwei is a mentor in Bridge to Calculus for classes including Mathematics, Robotics, Game Programming and Physics.

Suuraj Narayanan Raghunathan is an engineering management graduate student at Northeastern University and serves as the administrative coordinator for the Bridge to Calculus program. Suuraj is entrepreneur minded, an inquisitive innovator, and a strategic executor who is passionate about challenging the status quo resulting in business impacts.  They are on a mission, to build products, services, solutions, and processes with a purpose to solve global business challenges. Suuraji is a seasoned professional with 4.5 years of corporate experience in Product management, Management Consulting, Operational Excellence, Process Automation, Engineering, Market Research, Project Management, Business development, and cross-cultural team management.

Rob Ellis has been a mathematics teacher at New Mission High School/Boston Public Schools for nineteen years. He earned a BS in Mathematics from Worcester State University and a master’s in education from Northeastern University.  He has actively helped further student access to more rigorous class experiences by advocating for access for all.  He has taught AP Calculus AB since 2011.  He has been a reader for College Board (graded AP Exams) several times.

Rob was first introduced to Bridge to Calculus in the spring of 2008 when Professor Case came to his school to share information about the Bridge to Calculus Program.  At this time New Mission did not have a path for students to be able to matriculate to AP Calculus by their 12^th grade year.  Upon learning how the Bridge to Calculus Program would help traverse this gap, Rob easily recruited more than a dozen student out of a rising 12^th grade class of seventy. To encourage and further value his students’ commit to taking math classes at 7:30AM during the summer Rob attended the classes along with his group every day.  In summer of 2022 Rob was invited to teach at Bridge to Calculus and is in his second year as an instructor.

I am a teacher, as well as an alumnus of Bridge to Calculus. I choose to work in education because I have a deep passion for seeing students learn and become successful. Every day, I show up hoping to make a positive impact on my students’ lives. Bridge to Calculus provides an excellent platform for students to gain entry into AP Calculus and become well-prepared for college.

I have been serving at BPS for 15 years now. During my tenure, I have had the opportunity to teach AP Computer Science at Boston Latin Academy, as well as IB Computer Science, Math, and Physics at Josiah Quincy Upper School. I have also taught Math and Technology at Excel High School.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a teacher is witnessing students learn, interact, and building strong relationships with them. I find great joy in seeing students develop into better problem solvers through the challenges of Math and Computer Science, as these skills are crucial for their future success.

I am truly passionate about what I do and feel privileged to be a part of shaping the futures of young minds.

Mr. Howland has an extensive history with Boston Public Schools (BPS), as a “homegrown” student educated in the district grades K-12. Mr. Howland is a graduate of Boston Latin School (BLS) and worked in BPS for almost five decades as a teacher and administrator. He has served as headmaster of Another Course to College, an administrator in charge of discipline at the former Jamaica Plain High School, and head of the math department at The English High School. Additionally, Mr. Howland served as interim associate headmaster at his alma mater BLS. More recently, in the winter of the 2018-19 school year, Mr. Howland filled in as interim head of school at Boston Latin Academy.

A veteran math teacher and an attorney who has long instructed students in law and in mock trials, he has earned Boston’s “Golden Apple” and the Massachusetts “Teacher of the Year” awards. He was also nominated as a finalist for “National Teacher of the Year.”

After finishing my BS in Mathematics for Teachers at the Philippine Normal College in 1980, I taught mathematics at Pasay City West High School in the Philippines. As a scholar of NSDB Proj 7405 we were expected to teach math in high schools, especially inner-city schools. Trying to be self- sufficient in the city, I had to seek better employment. I was fortunate to become part of the PAREF Woodrose School for Girls at Ayala, Alabang. I taught in this private school for two years until the time came for me to go back to Cebu to be closer to my family. The contrast in these two school settings reinforced my belief that math is indeed a great equalizer. The learning and teaching of math knows no bias in terms of social standing, race or gender.

In August 2001, I got hired by Boston Public Schools and got assigned to teach math at the Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Since 2002 I have been teaching math at East Boston High School handling grades 9-12. In addition to teaching AP Calculus AB/BC in this school since 2008, I have been an AP Reader for the past 7 years. Being an AP Reader gave me opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of Calculus as I apply the rubric in grading the AP Exams Open Response. At the reading I also got the opportunity of working together with other teachers of Calculus from both the high schools and universities in the US, which has been a great learning experience for me.

I started teaching in the Bob Case Academy Summer Bridge Program of Northeastern University during summer of 2018 and have been involved with the program since then. The motivation and dedication of the students in the Bridge always amaze me and makes me more inspired in my teaching.

East Boston High School profile.

I graduated from BPS many years ago. I am currently teaching math at Boston Latin Academy and it’s my 25th year in BPS. I have been working with BTC for more than twenty summers. I love teaching kids about mathematics. For me, this program helps us help more students, especially the underrepresented population in math and science. Also working with a dedicated group of teachers achieving a common goal is a very special accomplishment. Our goal is to maximize their mathematics potential that sometimes students do not realize what they have to offer.

Althea Bennett is an art teacher at Boston Public Schools who is a Boston native herself. “As an arts educator, my teaching is hip hop, with that I mean it is a pastiche of history, culture, art, respect, representation, expression, and experimentation. My classroom is tranquil yet active, a sculpture classroom open to all mediums. Through my lesson plans and the experiences, I give my students opportunities to uncover their personal histories to understand their futures. My students discover new connection with materials and techniques, being innovative and resourceful. My students are expressive, inquisitive, and inspired in the classroom, art is a tool they can be used to share their thoughts, feeling, and opinions.”