Experience Summary
I have over 30 years of experience in the oil industry, initially in quality control, but quickly promoted to programmer after writing some programs on my own time to help with the quality control. I have programmed professionally since 1979, using many different languages and operating systems, on many different kinds of hardward (mainframes, work stations, PC's, Macs). I have written a lot of software on my own, including many UNIX utilities (much improved versions of ls, grep, and diff, for example). I have written 2 powerful command line calculator programs, as well as some powerful mathematical graphics software, which I can use in tutoring. I used to tutor a lot when I was in college and for a while thereafter, was often told I was good at it, that I should be a teacher. I have been active on several Facebook math pages, where I have submitted and solved a number of math problems, have often been complimented on my explanations of my solutions.
Teaching Style
My teaching style is based loosely on that of my major college math professer (and head of the department), which was originated at the University of Texas by his thesis advisor and another colleague. It is basically the Socratic method as applied to teaching mathematics, to try to draw the student out and get him or her to think on their own. I am for understanding, not regurgitating a bunch of facts, which anyone can mindlessly do. The object is to be able to think and analyze on your own.
My Hobbies
dogs (I have several), reading (history, science, philosophy, math, medicine, etc., read a lot of science fiction, fantasy, and detective stories when young), writing mini-essays (including many comments on Facebook and elsewhere online), writing computer programs, doing new mathematics, solving math problems, live music of all varieties (I have seen probably 3000 live music shows in the last 20 years or so), seeing plays, eating spicy ethnic foods
| Type |
Level |
Year |
Title |
Issued By |
| Degree |
Bachelors |
1975 |
Bachelors in Math and Physics |
Hardin-Simmons University, Abile... |
| Other |
PhD level work |
1976 |
3 semesters of advanced mathematics |
Rice University (did not finish) |
| Other |
postgraduate |
1987 |
30 hours advanced math, 1979-1987 |
University of Houston |
| Award |
2 first places |
1970 |
Texas state Latin contest |
Texas Junior Classical League |
| Award |
2 first places |
1971 |
Texas state Latin contest |
Texas Junior Classical League |
| Award |
2 first places |
1971 |
National Latin contest, Norman, ... |
Junior Classical League |
| Award |
college senior |
1975 |
Outstanding senior science student |
Hardin-Simmons University, Abile... |
| Algebra |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Algebra I |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Algebra II |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Algebra III |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Calculus I |
 This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics; freshman college calculus (2 5-hour courses, basically Calculus I, II, and III) was my favorite course ever, which I aced |
| Calculus II |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics; freshman college calculus (2 5-hour course, basically Calculus I, II, and III) was my favorite course ever, which I aced |
| College Algebra |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Computer Programming |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Have been a computer programmer/software engineer in the oil industry for 30 years, using FORTRAN 66/77/90/95, C, Pascal, IBM 360 Assembler, Vax Assembler, PL/I, Basic, Visual Basic, Python, UNIX shell scripts, and more, on UNIX work stations, Windows, Macs, IBM and UNIVAC mainframes |
| Geometry |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Latin |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| had Latin I and II in high school, all A's, still remember some of Caesar's "De Bello Gallico" in Latin (and English); won 2 first places in each of 2 Texas state Latin contests in high school, won 2 first places in National Latin contest in high school |
| Linux |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Have used UNIX on Suns, HPs, IBMs, Macs for 20 years, some Linux, but it is functionally the same as UNIX, so knowing one is pretty much knowing the other; have written hundreds of UNIX shell scripts, plus numerous UNIX utililties in C and FORTRAN 90; have debugged software that ran on Suns and Linux, with bugs just on the Linix side (a little endian/big endian thing in bit mapped graphics) |
| Logic |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Math |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Objective C |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Have written some basic Objective C programs on Macs; am a C programming wizard |
| Physics |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Bachelor's Degree in math and physics, all A's |
| Pre-Algebra |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Pre-Calculus |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Python |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| Used Python for about 2 years at Shell oil, largely converting FORTRAN 90 programs to Python |
| Statistics |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| Trigonometry |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert - have done PhD level work in mathematics |
| VB.net |
Proficiency: Experienced
|
| spent 8 months at Shell oil fixing and enhancing a complex Visual Basic program using Visual Studio; have greatly speeded up some Visual Basic code for a friend, written some very fast mathematical code in Visual Basic for this same friend |