In eighth grade, Richard Porter was far more interested in sculling than studying.
“The teachers didn’t really challenge me to understand the material,” says Porter, a professor of mathematics at Northeastern University. “On my part, I didn’t really spend any time trying to understand it at all.”
He was failing math, and was close to being expelled from his private boarding school in Delaware. But his math teacher stepped in, offering tutoring and helping him engage with the subject.
That helped Porter catch up with his classmates — and realize he saw math differently than most. Soon he was outperforming his classmates.
Porter went on to earn a doctoral degree in mathematics from Yale University.
Now, after five decades at Northeastern, he is retiring, leaving behind a legacy of leadership in mathematics education and mentorship.
Read more from Northeastern Global News.
Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
