What was it like growing up in a family of 17 children?
Well, I think the most memorable times is when we had dinner; of course, the children weren’t born all at once, but you know, there were times when 13 or 14 of us were at home. There were benches around a very long dinner table, and my mother would cook very large pots of spaghetti or beans with hot dogs. things like that
You felt very much part of a large, large group. You also didn’t get a lot of individual attention. [In my whole life], I think I remember [talking] to my mother for more than 20 minutes twice…when I was growing up. I think because I still remember when she took me to go see a movie. And I remember the name of the movie. It was a Doris Day film called The Pajama Game. And I remember that she bought me a vanilla ice cream with a chocolate coating and a coke. And that was [the one time].
What did you do for fun?
We would play very large games, you know, I mean you don’t remember very much that you do when you’re that age, but what I do remember is we used to have rock fights sometimes…and that was pretty crazy.
Did you get along well with your siblings?
[With] some I did: there were groups of five, so I know all the people that are older because I am the fifth oldest. I didn’t get along with a lot of the younger [sic] kids…like the 10th, 11th and 12th child. And that led to some interesting litigation: I was chosen to be the trustee of our family’s Trust.
Why were you put in charge of the Trust?
Because I had an education…and I also was my grandmother’s favorite grandchild…which was really special…I remember having more conversations with her than I did with my mother.
How did you get interested in mathematics?
I think I was probably 10…My father would come home from his work–he worked at a shop in Torrance, I believe, that created parts for rockets and airplanes–and he would come home with the blueprints and ask [sic] how certain distances should be measured… and we would do the geometry together.
What kind of a student were you? Would you say you were very fastidious?
When I was in high school I was very good at math, but I didn’t really put too much of my interest in other things…surprisingly enough, now [writing] is pretty much all I do. And if someone were to ask me, “What’s the most important skill in life?”, I wouldn’t say mathematics. I would say, “learn how to communicate with the written word.”
Do you notice any stark changes in the education system as a whole?
We are more concerned now with how, as a student, you are doing emotionally…I remember the time when I was in college and one of my professors was handing out exams that he had given…he would always hand the exams out: best exam first, worst exam last; and then he would call the students to come up to the front of the classroom to pick up the exam…one time he held up the last paper and called the young man’s name who walked up to the front of the class. And as he was walking up, the professor announced, “I gave the test to the monkey, and the monkey did better than this.” I was completely shocked…now that would never happen. So things have changed considerably in that respect.
What did you major in?
I started out as an electrical engineering major, but after [sic] my second year in college, I moved here to Santa Barbara and went to City College; and when I went into City College, I changed my major to math–primarily because math was just much easier.
What college did you attend before City College?
I went to a place called ‘N.I.T.’–Northrop Institute of Technology–on a scholarship. My parents had no access to money, and there weren’t a lot of scholarships available back then, so I went to the first school that offered me a full ride, and NIT did. But it wasn’t for me–there were 90 boys to 10 girls, and so it was not as interesting to me when I was at that age.
What would you say to people who are stressed about getting into the “perfect college”?
I would say that the school you go to is less important than doing something that you find interesting and enjoyable.
How did you wind up working for the government for 20 years?
I was offered a job to work for a company called General Research Corporation, which was actually called Defense Research before 69…and I stayed with them for 20 years and became corporate director of computer services…It turned out to be a wonderful place. 80% of the people that I worked with already had PhDs, and so they were all bright, capable, funny and very entertaining…we used to have a lot of get-togethers, and we just had a lot of fun.
At GRC, What exactly did you work on?
We were doing a lot of operations that dealt with communications on the battlefield, and so I worked somewhat on that. I did some research also for NASA through JPL– they were simulating what it would be like if World War Three were to break out…what would happen to the border between East and West Germany.
What mathematics did you use?
Mostly calculus optimizations.
I’ve heard you mention that your job, being government funded, gave you access to many cool tools. Could you elaborate on this?
The cool part about working for a government agency is that if you get an idea that you want to try, which has validity, they will fund you to have the tools that you need to get it done.
Can you give an example of one of your ideas?
We were developing tools to help people make correct decisions on the battlefield…We took the data, analyzed it, they asked their questions,“„ and we would answer very much like Chat GPT does today…the Generals
or Colonels whom we worked with would ask a question and then they would say, “This is what I would’ve done”–as opposed to what the tools told them to do. The commanders would start doubting themselves–and that’s what’s going on today, people will listen to what the AI says with great excitement and interest, assuming that everything it says is 100% correct, which, of course, is not the case.
So why did you quit?
I just got really exhausted over the continual need to be on the East Coast…
I was flying a lot more than I wanted. Some weeks it was 10 hours, some weeks it was more, some weeks it was less–It depended on how many fires I had to put out.
And so eventually you became a teacher, here, at Laguna?
Well, they had an opening…so I said “[teaching] would be a lot easier than what I’m going through now.” And so I went ahead and aptplied.
And almost everybody who was there at that time is gone. The only person who still works at Laguna who was there, and was actually part of the team that hired me, is Paul Chiment. and he was actually one of the reasons I decided to come work here–because of his professionalism, and the quality of his teaching. You know, you get impressed by some people. It’s just the way it is.
Have you taught many different classes over the years, or has it always been advanced mathematics?
When I first came here, I taught algebra and pre-calculus, then eventually I started teaching calculus…So I have taught a large swath of all the Mathematics courses at one point.
What has been your favorite part about teaching at Laguna?
You know, when you talk about teaching…the thing that keeps it interesting is the students. Now, that speaks highly of the students we get. And actually, I’m often bragging about who I get to teach…But, you know, there’s a reason you chose teaching: It’s not for the glory, or the fame, or the money–that’s for sure. It’s for the joy of being able to share knowledge…And of course, where else can you teach a class in multivariate calculus and have only three people participating on a daily basis? That would never happen at City College or at San Marcos High School…so you get to really have a much more enjoyable behavior with the kids.
How long do you plan on teaching at Laguna?
I plan to teach as long as I can because I can’t imagine sitting at home and trying to entertain myself by just reading or watching the television.
Do you have anything else that you want to be doing in the future?
Yeah, I’m in the process of writing a textbook…It’s a series of projects…I’ve developed…that not only teach the concepts of Python, but also the applications of various kinds of hardware devices.
I think I have to go now, but do you have any parting advice or wishes or stories?
The only thing I can tell people…is that when you decide to start working for a living, be sure you pick something that’s not necessarily the highest paying, but is necessarily the most interesting…because that’s where you’ll get fulfillment…don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re going to be happy just because [a job’s] paying you the big bucks; Find something you truly like.
What is the story behind your white fedora?
Oh, so I have a skin condition called Lupus and it is exacerbated by the sun… the hat makes sure that my face doesn’t get as much sun. But, it’s because of that condition that I wear a hat–and I’ve always worn a hat. And this is the hat I choose because it’s comfortable.