My major interest outside of mathematics is in the study and practice of (universal) truths as they apply to me and compel me. Secondly, some of the issues that are a focus for me are those of peace, justice and equity – world peace. I enjoy vegetable gardening, jogging, hiking, walking, racquetball, music (jazz, classical, blues, samba, choral, music with social content), poetry, photography, cooking, and drama. Now that my two sons are grown, I enjoy seeing them find their way though life – their ups and downs. I enjoy participating in and observing life as it is played out.

I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with dual citizenship (Brazil and US), January 26, 1944 which puts me in my very (very) late forties. I married in 1969. We have two children, one was born in 1974 and the other was born in 1978. I grew up in the interior of Brazil, which at the time was a bit like the western US before the turn of the century. There were few vehicles for transportation, no electricity, or running water. Horses, mules, ox carts, flat-bottomed canoe and foot were the common modes of transport. The area where I grew up was more like savanna, rolling hills and dense forests near the rivers. My father began a primary/secondary school part of which is now a private school and another part is a public university extension of the state university system. My early education was in Brazilian schools in the morning and at home in English curriculum during the afternoons. In the third grade I went to school in Sao Paulo, Escola Graduada de Sao Paulo and boarded in a home since my parents were away. I stayed until midway through the eleventh grade. I graduated from Mount Lebanon High School (a suburb of Pittsburgh) in 1963.

I went to Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio where I graduated from college in 1967 majoring in mathematics (honors) and minoring in physics and an emphasis in philosophy. I obtained my masters degree from University of Cincinnati in 1969. While at the University of Cincinnati, I organized the graduate students to help tutor ghetto kids as well as working in the ghettoes during the summer and over the school year. In 1973, I began my Ph.D. program at Oregon State University. While at Oregon State University, besides teaching as a TA, I taught several semesters beginning college mathematics at the maximum-security federal penitentiary in Salem.

I taught junior high and high school mathematics in rural Georgia between 1969-1973. The nearest post office was in Keysville, (Burke County) Georgia, which is located about forty miles southwest of Augusta. I was told that Burke and Jackson County (Mississippi) were the last two counties in the US to desegregate. While in Burke County, I became the first white president of the county National Educational Association at the beginning of the ten year rotation of black/white presidents. After work in Georgia, I went to Oregon State University to finish my Ph.D. degree. While at Oregon State University, I taught basic mathematics at a maximum security prison over a period of two years.

Some of the highlights associated with the activities of teaching, research and service that have given me special pleasure are the year’s work I did with EPA Region 8 in geographical information systems and helping one unit set up some hardware, software and analytical methods. In addition, the mathematics clinics that I have lead dealing with plant variety protection (basically, patents for seeds), radiation therapy of cancer tumors, and neural networks and dynamical systems for control stand out as particularly enjoyable.

• Star Teacher
• Outstanding Faculty Award
• Elected Direct of South Englewood Sanitation District 1 (1998-2001 and a second term 2001-2005)
• President of the Burke County Georgia Teacher’s Association