OUR TEAM

Who We Are
Our TEAM

Bridge to Calculus Leadership

Robert Case

Founder

Born and raised in Boston, Robert Case attended public school from kindergarten until graduation. Dr. Case spent much of his youth playing baseball and hockey on the playgrounds and frozen ponds in and around Boston—but remembers how fortunate he was to have extraordinary, inspiring teachers during that time, especially his math teacher, Arthur Leary, at Hyde Park High School. Encouragement and support from his teachers led to a PhD from the Belfer Graduate School of Science at Yeshiva University in New York City.
 
While teaching math courses at Northeastern, Dr. Case connected with countless like-minded individuals who cared deeply about providing opportunities for the next generation of students. Joining forces with Dr. Donald King and a handful of others, Dr. Case reached out to best practice groups across the country, including teachers, faculty, and university students, to begin building an alliance to bring rigorous math programs to high schoolers—which eventually led to Bridge to Calculus.
 
Dr. Case has seen a drastic change in Boston since his upbringing. Today, he sees the pipeline carrying first-generation college students from high school to universities, like Northeastern, shifting to provide more access to Black, Latinx, and Asian-American populations. Realizing that the enormous potential of this population would otherwise be untapped—which he saw as a grievous blow to both racial justice and the vitality of society—Dr. Case was eager to create a group at Northeastern that was looking to bring a college pathway to all.

Donald King

Co-Founder

Donald King was a faculty member in the math department of Northeastern University for almost 40 years. He retired at the end of 2018. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1950s and early 1960s, at which time he developed a deep passion for mathematics and physics. With the help of very loving and supportive parents (without high school diplomas), along with a string of encouraging teachers, he excelled in the public schools (especially Stuyvesant High School) and graduated from Harvard in 1968. After a period of radical political activism, he refocused on mathematics and graduated from M.I.T. with a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1979.
 
Throughout his career, a major focus of Don’s efforts has been on increasing the participation and performance of underrepresented minorities in the mathematical sciences. This is often called the “pipeline problem”. One aspect of this issue is securing financial aid for such students. From 2006 to 2012, Don provided financial support for undergrad STEM majors at Northeastern through the Mathematics and Science Talent Scholarship program.
 
During his retirement, Don continues to work on several aspects and several levels of the “pipeline problem”: (1) diversifying the AP Calculus community through Bridge to Calculus (BtC), a summer math enrichment program at Northeastern University, that prepares mainly black and Hispanic students to study AP Calculus in their senior year of high school; (2) mentoring students through the National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences (http//:www.mathalliance.org); and (3) documenting the contributions of mathematicians of the African Diaspora to the mathematical sciences through a website (http://www.mathad.com). Don is providing the same kind support that he received from faculty such as Bob Case and Tom Sherman, when Don was a masters’ student at Northeastern in the early 1970’s.
Read Donald's bio

Donald King was a faculty member in the math department of Northeastern University for almost 40 years. He retired at the end of 2018. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1950s and early 1960s, at which time he developed a deep passion for mathematics and physics. With the help of very loving and supportive parents (without high school diplomas), along with a string of encouraging teachers, he excelled in the public schools (especially Stuyvesant High School) and graduated from Harvard in 1968. After a period of radical political activism, he refocused on mathematics and graduated from M.I.T. with a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1979.

Throughout his career, a major focus of Don’s efforts has been on increasing the participation and performance of underrepresented minorities in the mathematical sciences. This is often called the “pipeline problem”. One aspect of this issue is securing financial aid for such students. From 2006 to 2012, Don provided financial support for undergrad STEM majors at Northeastern through the Mathematics and Science Talent Scholarship program

During his retirement, Don continues to work on several aspects and several levels of the “pipeline problem”: (1) diversifying the AP Calculus community through Bridge to Calculus (BtC), a summer math enrichment program at Northeastern University, that prepares mainly black and Hispanic students to study AP Calculus in their senior year of high school; (2) mentoring students through the National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences (http//:www.mathalliance.org); and (3) documenting the contributions of mathematicians of the African Diaspora to the mathematical sciences through a website (http://www.mathad.com). Don is providing the same kind support that he received from faculty such as Bob Case and Tom Sherman, when Don was a masters’ student at Northeastern in the early 1970’s.

Rajini Jesudason

Program Director

Read Raj's bio

Rajini Jesudason teaches math at Northeastern University and directs the Northeastern math department’s signature outreach program, Bridge to Calculus. Formerly, she was a program director in mathematics for the Boston Public Schools. She also taught and worked closely with teachers in the Boston, Cambridge, and Watertown Public School districts—and played a leading role in state initiatives for asset-based instruction and teacher development in mathematics education. Ms. Jesudason’s experience in higher education includes serving as a dean of physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering at Foothill Community College in California; teaching quantitative reasoning and pre-calculus at Harvard University; co-implementing a quantitative reasoning program at Wellesley College; and instructing in the teacher education programs at UMass Boston and Wheelock College.

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

Rajini Jesudason has an EdM from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Jerry Howland

BPS Teacher Director

Read Jerry's bio

Mr. Howland has an extensive history with BPS, as a “homegrown” student, educated in the district throughout 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. Mr. Howland served as headmaster of Another Course to College, as an administrator in charge of discipline at the former Jamaica Plain High School, and head of the math department at The English High School. Mr. Howland also served as interim associate headmaster at his alma mater BLS. More recently, Mr. Howland filled in as interim head of school at BLA in the winter of the 2018-19 school year. 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.”

I also teach at the Josiah Quincy Upper School. I teach 8th Grade Physics, and 11th Grade Computer Science. I taught all incoming 8th graders for years at the Arlington Street campus that serves 8th-12th graders. So basically, I have taught over 95% of all the students under the same roof in my school!

 
Mr. Howland has an extensive history with BPS, as a “homegrown” student, educated in the district throughout 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. Mr. Howland served as headmaster of Another Course to College, as an administrator in charge of discipline at the former Jamaica Plain High School, and head of the math department at The English High School. Mr. Howland also served as interim associate headmaster at his alma mater BLS. More recently, Mr. Howland filled in as interim head of school at BLA in the winter of the 2018-19 school year. 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.”
 
I also teach at the Josiah Quincy Upper School. I teach 8th Grade Physics, and 11th Grade Computer Science. I taught all incoming 8th graders for years at the Arlington Street campus that serves 8th-12th graders. So basically, I have taught over 95% of all the students under the same roof in my school!

2021 BtC Committee

Egon Schulte (Math Department Chair)

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.

Rick Porter (Faculty Chair of BtC)

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.

Raj Jesudason (Director of BtC)

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.

Nate Bade (Co-Director of BtC)

Dr. Nathaniel Bade is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Mathematics at Northeastern, the Program Director for the MS Applied Math and MS Operations Research programs and the Co-Director of the Bridge to Calculus Program. His teaching focuses on project based education, machine learning, and the intersection between analytic mathematical modeling and computer simulation. Nate has been a support of Bridge to Calculus for years, and contributed to the Coding for Calculus Curriculum.

“For many students, taking calculus is a huge differentiator in college admissions and early success in the STEM fields. It’s important that we give underserved and working students the opportunity to have an education on par with other American teenagers. It is such a privilege to work with the amazing faculty at BPS to help bridge the math gap for such a dedicated group of students.”

Rekha Bai

Dr. Rekha Bai is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Mathematics at Northeastern since 2002. She has been teaching various undergraduate freshmen level classes. Her first direct involvement with Bridge to Calculus was through Calculus Field Day in 2019, where she graded, proctored and assisted during the award ceremony. She was so motivated by seeing the students’ enthusiasm and dedication that day that she volunteered to be a Calculus Field Day writer the next year and is now happy to be part of the BtC Committee, dedicated to building the bridge to fill the Calculus gap for Boston school children heading for college.

Daniela Alarcon-Diaz

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.

Zoe Daunt

I am a fourth-year undergraduate at Northeastern, majoring in math with a minor in Spanish. I am passionate about math education, and have been able to explore my interest in education as a policy & research co-op at Boston After School & Beyond, a non-profit that works with Bridge to Calculus and other programs in Boston. I am president and co-founder of Northeastern’s student chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics. Outside of work and school, you can find me painting, singing, or scoping out the best bubble tea cafes in Boston. I am super excited to be a part of Bridge to Calculus, both as a tutor/mentor and committee member. I got involved with BtC because I believe every student deserves a chance to succeed in math and STEM, and also have a broad support system to prepare them for college. I joined the committee in the hopes of helping to expand BtC so that more students can take part in all that it has to offer.

Stanley Eigen
Tony Irrabino
Noemi Famador

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.

 

Robert McOwen

I received my PhD in Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978, and have been a member of Northeastern’s Math Faculty since 1979. I was Chair of the Department 2001-2007 and Acting Chair 2008-2009. At that time, the Bridge to Calculus program was already flourishing under the leadership of Professor Bob Case, but I gave what moral support I could. Now, in the midst of the pandemic and other changes, it seems the program needs a little more support to put it onto firm financial footing and keep it as an ongoing alliance between the Northeastern University’s Department of Mathematics and the Boston Public Schools. So, when current Math Department Chair Egon Schulte asked me to participate, I agreed to join the Bridge to Calculus Committee. 

Beth Qudah
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. 

2020/21 BtC Summer Program Teachers

Jerry Howland

Mr. Howland has an extensive history with BPS, as a “homegrown” student, educated in the district throughout 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. Mr. Howland served as headmaster of Another Course to College, as an administrator in charge of discipline at the former Jamaica Plain High School, and head of the math department at The English High School. Mr. Howland also served as interim associate headmaster at his alma mater BLS. More recently, Mr. Howland filled in as interim head of school at BLA in the winter of the 2018-19 school year. 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.”

I also teach at the Josiah Quincy Upper School. I teach 8th Grade Physics, and 11th Grade Computer Science. I taught all incoming 8th graders for years at the Arlington Street campus that serves 8th-12th graders. So basically, I have taught over 95% of all the students under the same roof in my school!

Anthony Bernazzi

My name is Anthony Bernazzani and I have been teaching mathematics in the Boston Public Schools for 17 years, the last 13 at Boston Latin Academy. I have been a part of the Bridge to Calculus program for 2 years since my colleague and mentor Mr.Cao, who has been teaching in the BTC program for many years, got me involved in the program. Spending the summer with diligent and motivated students who are eager not only to improve their understanding and skills, but take their mathematics to the next level, has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience that has made me a better teacher.

Yuyu Chen

Hi, my name is Yuyu Chen. I am a teacher at the Bridge to Calculus program. I also was an alumnus of the program. I chose to work in education because I love to see students learn and become successful. I show up every day to hope to be part of a positive impact for students. Bridge to Calculus is a great platform for students to get into AP Calculus and become prepared for college.

I also teach at the Josiah Quincy Upper School. I teach 8th Grade Physics, and 11th Grade Computer Science. I taught all incoming 8th graders for years at the Arlington Street campus that serves 8th-12th graders. So basically, I have taught over 95% of all the students under the same roof in my school!

Phuong Cao

My name is Phuong Cao. 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.

 

Noemi Famador

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.

 

Sammy Gutierrez

After completing his Undergraduate degree from MIT, Mr. Gutierrez became a Mathematics Teacher within Boston Public Schools, BPS, at Boston Community Leadership Academy. Over the course of teaching for 15 years in BPS, Mr. Gutierrez has taught all levels of Math from Algebra to AP Calculus. Having taught AP Calculus for 13 years and AP Statistics for 10 years, Mr. Gutierrez has also served as an AP Reader for the past 10 years grading the AP Statistics Exam. Apart from teaching in the high school classroom, Mr. Gutierrez has served as an instructor for the BPS Summer Bridge to Calculus program working to ready student for AP Calculus for the past 9 years as well as serving as the Head Math Instructor at MIT’s Summer Interphase Edge Program for the past 15 years working to ready accepted students for their Freshman year at MIT.

Mike Sheehan

I am Mike Sheehan. I grew up in Needham Massachusetts and have always found math interesting. I majored in math at Boston College and got my Master of Arts in Teaching degree at Bridgewater State College (now called Bridgewater State University). I started my career as a math teacher in 1993 at West Roxbury High School. The year after that I moved to South Boston High School, and taught there for over twenty years. I am now in my fourth year at Boston Community Leadership Academy (BCLA) in Hyde Park. I met Professor Bob Case during my first year teaching, and took his calculus course for math teachers. I served as a mentor when he offered an after school calculus class to BPS students on campus at Northeastern University, and was a mentor when he started the summer program “Boston Summer Advanced Math” (now called Case Academy: Bridge To Calculus). After a couple of years of helping as a mentor I got offered the chance to teach for one week, and soon after was offered a chance to be a regular teacher in the program. I love teaching in Bridge To Calculus for many reasons: I get to meet students from other high schools, and the students are all there because they want to be. I get the best questions, the best effort and the best quality of work from Bridge To Calculus students. It is consistently the highlight of my teaching year.

Juan Tapia

I was born and raised in Boston, where I attend BPS for all 12 years of school graduating from BLS in 1997. I was lucky enough to attend a school that offered Calculus, which allowed me to take the AP Calculus exam my senior year. As an undergrad and math major at Northeastern, I got a summer job as a BTC Tutor. I had already committed to becoming a math teacher, and I wanted to teach in Boston to give back to the city that I love. I am currently teaching at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, where I have taught for the last 18 school years. My summer tutoring with BTC really cemented my desire to become a teacher and specifically to teach in BPS. I wanted to help support the students of Boston who did not have as easy a path to Calculus as I did. I have worked off and on with BTC for over 10 summers and I am currently one of the AP Calculus teachers at the O’Bryant.

2020/21 Mentors

Daniela Alarcon Diaz

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.

Dan Arnon

I grew up in Israel. After completing my military service I 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 I taught at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem for a year and then left academia to pursue a career in high tech. I worked at EMC Corporation for many years, developing products for business continuity and disaster recovery. I spent a few years with two startups, and recently I worked at Google on the infrastructure for live-streaming over YouTube. In 2018 I retired and since then I’ve dedicated my 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 my spare time I love baking and reading.

Doli Bambhania

Doli Bambhania is zooming in all the way from California. She is delighted to be part of Bob Case Academy: Bridge to Calculus and meet with her math buddy, Victoria!

Karthik Boyareddygari

 Karthik is a 4th (and final) year undergraduate at Northeastern working towards a double major in math and physics along with a minor in bassoon performance. He finds great beauty in math and great pleasure in sharing it with others — so much so that he’s planning to make a life of doing math by becoming a math professor. It’s a pity that there aren’t more people who get to really enjoy math because they don’t feel like they’re good at it, so BtC provides an opportunity for him to help students overcome their hesitations and become really confident in themselves. He feels strongly that the best way for students to excel is to hold them to high standards, and the students of BtC have demonstrated that they’re more than ready to handle it.

Joté Brown

I am a Math Major at Northeastern University and I’ve had my fair share of experiences in math. From having difficulties in early high school to making math an important part of my toolbox, I’ve learned how to tackle difficult problems. I’m not only looking for the answer to questions, but also understanding what the questions are asking for. I hope to share this understanding with others.

Robert Chang

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.

Patty Corrigan

Patty Corrigan is the Assistant Coop Coordinator for the Math Department at Northeastern. She loves working with the Bridge to Calculus program and meeting the bright and enthusiastic students from Bridge to Calculus as they gear up to go to college. 

Zoe Daunt

I am a fourth-year undergraduate at Northeastern, majoring in math with a minor in Spanish. I am passionate about math education, and have been able to explore my interest in education as a policy & research co-op at Boston After School & Beyond, a non-profit that works with Bridge to Calculus and other programs in Boston. I am president and co-founder of Northeastern’s student chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics. Outside of work and school, you can find me painting, singing, or scoping out the best bubble tea cafes in Boston. I am super excited to be a part of Bridge to Calculus, both as a tutor/mentor and committee member. I got involved with BtC because I believe every student deserves a chance to succeed in math and STEM, and also have a broad support system to prepare them for college. I joined the committee in the hopes of helping to expand BtC so that more students can take part in all that it has to offer.

Matthew Downing

Matthew Downing is a fourth-year computer engineering student. He grew up in the Philly suburbs and has been involved with robotics since he moved to Boston. He has always had a passion for math and its importance to a strong academic foundation. He now works on the math coding team teaching Python and robotics to high school students.

Aliska Gibbins
Shradha Kaushel

Shradha graduated with a Master’s in Applied Mathematics in May of 2020. Her passion is Data Science so she is looking forward to leading the Data Science Bootcamp in April 2021 and have students grapple with real world data and applications. It’s a mystery and you’ll be on the path to solving it!

Bridget Kelley

I’m from Melrose, MA and am currently a student at the University of Notre Dame, where I’m majoring in American Studies and minoring in Anthropology and Collaborative Innovation. In my free time I love running, doing yoga, cooking/baking, and listening to podcasts. I enjoy writing and storytelling and am excited to help students with college essays and applications!

Brendan King
Brendan King is a third year undergraduate student at Northeastern, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Music Technology. Prior to tutoring with Bridge to Calculus, Brendan worked with Community Development Partnership, a radio and public media fundraising company. When not writing code or tutoring, Brendan enjoys playing the piano and solving crossword puzzles.
Chris King

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 is now a Professor of mathematics at Northeastern University. Chris has been a supporter of Bridge to Calculus over many years, and has contributed to both Calculus Field Day and the summer program. He is excited to be a part of the Question Center and to share time with the young scholars from BPS.

Emma Lloyd

Emma Lloyd is in her second year at Northeastern University working towards her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Energy Systems. She is also an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for the class Calculus for Business/Economics Majors at Northeastern University, where Emma tutors students in that college calculus class through weekly office hours and by facilitating the class’s virtual aspects. In her studies at Northeastern University so far, she has completed Calculus 1, Calculus 2, and Calculus 3. Emma loves working with the Bridge to Calculus students to prepare them for their precalculus and calculus classes and their future applications of these topics

Jhonatan Serrano

Hello everyone! My name is Jhonatan Serrano, and I am currently a First-Year student at Northeastern University with a major in Economics and Business Administration. I grew up in Quito, Ecuador; the exciting fact is that it’s 2,850 meters above sea level. Since I was a child, I always felt passionate about maths, but at the same time, I went through difficult moments with the subject when even I had a strong fear for it. However, thanks to God, I overcame it, and I am looking forward to sharing my experience in it.

My favorite sport is soccer, as I am a fan of Bayern Munich and Liga de Quito (my Ecuadorian soccer team). Also, I love Formula 1 (Ferrari!), cooking, hearing music, and pets.

Hafcha Khanam

My name is Hafcha Khanam. I am a rising senior at East Boston High school. I am originally from Bangladesh, I have been living in the U.S for four years now. I came to know about this program last year through one of my friends. I joined the program to prepare myself to take Pre-Calculus. However, being a student there for a few weeks developed my confidence level so high that I was able to take AP calculus AB directly from Algebra 2. According to my school curriculum, I skipped Math 3 and Pre-Calculus classes in between. AP Calculus is the highest math class offered at my school. This year I am a proud Mentor and Alum of the BTC program. It is a challenging task for me to define Bridge To Calculus in a single word. Bridge to calculus for me is a bridge to a community, growth and above all, it is a bridge to a big diverse family. I am proud to be a part of this family! I wish I can continue to be a part of this wonderful family!!

Jiaqi Lu

My name is Jiaqi Lu. I am an undergraduate student at Northeastern University honors program majoring in mathematics. I love cooking a lot. I’m a mentor in Bridge in Calculus and I joined this program because I studied AP Calc BC totally by myself and finally got 5 in the exam so I want to share my experiences in self-learning with other students and help them learn well.

Veeru

I am Veeru, a graduate student in Energy Systems at Northeastern. I am an extremely passionate person who wants to play a significant role in combating Climate Change. I am part of the Organising Committee and also one of the proud mentors of the BTC where I help students to seek more clarity about Math and create a positive impact on the program.

Kimi

Hello! My name is Kimi and I am an undergraduate at Northeastern! I attended John D. O’Bryant and have been a math tutor since 2014. I am a math major and a Japanese minor. I am currently a mentor/admin in BTC. I sincerely love math and my passion to continue in this field is all thanks to my teachers/professors who believe in me and relentlessly challenge me.

Dhivyan Sundar

My name is Dhivyan Sundar. I am a Graduate Student currently pursuing a Master of Science in Energy Systems where I am involved in projects about financial analysis for solar and its design. I joined the BTC program in summer 2021 to support the program operational process, later as a mentor to students in the BTC program. Math is fundamental and provides a solid foundation in every aspect once students move to college. I want to help students and make them comfortable with calculus concepts as they take a big step forward in their life.

Diego Regalado

My name is Diego Regalado, I am a mentor in BTC. I am from Ecuador and I am currently helping with the classes from here (in my country I am one hour behind!). I study for an education degree at my university. I joined BTC to help students and learn from them. Learning is a beautiful process and I’m glad I can be part of it.

Cyrus Seyrafi

My name is Cyrus Seyrafi, I am a rising sophomore math, philosophy, and history major at Northeastern acting as a mentor for Mr. Cao’s class, and I am having a blast so far! Joining the crew was a bit of a spontaneous decision for me this summer, but I have been having fun teaching and tutoring my friends and peers for years now, so it’s a nice change of pace for me to be able to do something similar in a more organized format. Plus, the students have been doing a fantastic job, there have been some amazing lessons, and it’s even been a good review for me! In short, a great time, a great program, and great fun!

2020/21 Math Coding Group

Nate Bade (Coordinator)

Dr. Nathaniel Bade is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Mathematics at Northeastern, the Program Director for the MS Applied Math and MS Operations Research programs and the Co-Director of the Bridge to Calculus Program. His teaching focuses on project based education, machine learning, and the intersection between analytic mathematical modeling and computer simulation. Nate has been a support of Bridge to Calculus for years, and contributed to the Coding for Calculus Curriculum.

“For many students, taking calculus is a huge differentiator in college admissions and early success in the STEM fields. It’s important that we give underserved and working students the opportunity to have an education on par with other American teenagers. It is such a privilege to work with the amazing faculty at BPS to help bridge the math gap for such a dedicated group of students.”

Karthik Boyareddygari

Karthik is a 4th (and final) year undergraduate at Northeastern working towards a double major in math and physics along with a minor in bassoon performance. He finds great beauty in math and great pleasure in sharing it with others — so much so that he’s planning to make a life of doing math by becoming a math professor. It’s a pity that there aren’t more people who get to really enjoy math because they don’t feel like they’re good at it, so BtC provides an opportunity for him to help students overcome their hesitations and become really confident in themselves. He feels strongly that the best way for students to excel is to hold them to high standards, and the students of BtC have demonstrated that they’re more than ready to handle it.

Jamin Eisenberg

I am a second-year computer engineering and computer science student. I’m helping out with the coding program, and I’m looking forward to co-teaching the module on robotics. I’ve been learning about programming and robotics since high school, and programming is one of my favorite things, both to do and to teach. I’m hoping Python will provide a great stepping stone into the world of computational thinking.

Matthew Downing

Matthew Downing is a fourth-year computer engineering student. He grew up in the Philly suburbs and has been involved with robotics since he moved to Boston. He has always had a passion for math and its importance to a strong academic foundation. He now works on the math coding team teaching Python and robotics to high school students.

Max Daniels

Max Daniels is an undergraduate at Northeastern University studying mathematics, computer science, and physics. He began learning about computer science as a young student through breaking video games and taking apart computers. Now, he is interested in applied math, statistics, and machine learning, and he hopes to pursue a PhD in these areas.

Shradha Kaushel

Shradha Kaushal graduated with a Master’s in Applied Mathematics from Northeastern University. She isresently working as a data analyst with New England complex systems institute on Covid research project. She loves statistics and linear algebra and likes to code in Python, R and SQL. In her free time, Shradha likes to bake and play the piano.

Brendan King

Brendan King is a third year undergraduate student at Northeastern, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Music Technology. Prior to tutoring with Bridge to Calculus, Brendan worked with Community Development Partnership, a radio and public media fundraising company. When not writing code or tutoring, Brendan enjoys playing the piano and solving crossword puzzles.

Project Management Team

Amogha Shettar

My name is Amogha Shettar, and I am pursuing a master’s degree in Data Analytics Engineering at Northeastern University. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering. I am part of the Marketing and Communications team. I joined BtC because it’s an amazing program that works to empower children from Boston’s underserved communities to succeed in advanced math classes. I am happy and excited to be a part of this program.

Amoolya Shettar

My name is Amoolya Shettar, a Data Analytics Engineering Graduate student at Northeastern University. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. I am part of the Marketing and Communications team, and my role is to help expand Bridge to Calculus’ reach. Mathematics has always been my favorite subject and I joined BtC because it is a mathematics enrichment program that seeks to overcome the achievement gap by promoting minority student achievement in advanced calculus and help students succeed in future level math classes.

Preya Singh

My name is Preya Singh, and I am an undergraduate student at Northeastern University. I am part of the Marketing and Communications Team at BTC, working alongside Professor Raj to further promote the program through the website, and news outlets. BTC is a wonderful program that seeks to overcome the achievement gap and works to help students achieve success in advanced calculus. Being part of the BTC team has provided a way for me to not help students excel in a school setting but after graduation as well.  

Dhivyan Sundar

My name is Dhivyan Sundar. I am a Graduate Student currently pursuing a Master of Science in Energy Systems where I am involved in projects about financial analysis for solar and its design. I joined the BTC program in summer 2021 to support the program operational process, later as a mentor to students in the BTC program. Math is fundamental and provides a solid foundation in every aspect once students move to college, I want to help students and make them comfortable with calculus concepts as they take a big step forward in their life.

Umang Mistry

My name is Umang Mistry and I am pursuing MS in Data Analytics Engineering and a part of the Experiential Ed team. I am a part of BTC because I really believe in the mission of Dr. Robert Case and everyone deserves to have the right education and especially advanced math. It is an honor to be able to contribute to this team in any capacity.

InJun Jeon

My name is InJun Jeon, and I am an undergraduate student (about to go into my second year) at Northeastern University. I am a part of the Experiential Education Team of the Bridge to Calculus, working closely with Professor Raj and the Communications and Marketing Team to hopefully expand this program’s outreach and its impact on the Boston community. We also wish to incorporate aspects of social justice and empowerment into this program to face the challenges that minority and underserved communities face. As a Korean immigrant myself, I understand the unique challenges that many other immigrants face and I hope that by being a part of this amazing team, I can help grow and improve upon what is a truly life-changing program!

Aditya Ratna

I am Aditya Ratna from New Delhi, India. I am pursuing my Master of Science in Data Analytics Engineering at Northeastern University. I am a part of the Data and Measurement Team for the Bridge to Calculus program. I am a math enthusiast and believe in the program’s vision.