with Diana Thomas
Born:
Germany
Raised:
Montana
Resides:
Rockaway
Family:
Husband, Anand, and son, Ajay, age 2 1/2
Diana is one of five children; two
of her siblings attend Montclair State. Her parents live in Montana.
Education:
B.A., mathematics
University of Montana
Ph.D., mathematics
Georgia Institute of Technology
Hobbies:
Playing guitar in church and reading, especially fiction/fantasy.
Favorite author:
Terry Goodkind
Diana Thomas of Mathematical Sciences is proof that teachers
can make a difference. The assistant mathematical sciences professor wasn't
all that interested--or even that adept--in math while growing up. But
she became curious in a calculus class during her senior year of high
school and began doing math problems for fun. Then she headed to the University
of Montana as an accounting major. "I took a calculus class and had
a fabulous professor," she said. "I believe she was the first
African-American female math professor there. She was just a dynamo. That
was it; it sealed the deal."
She switched her major to mathematics and encountered other professors
who influenced her to pursue a career in math. "They really liked
to learn and they enjoyed the subject of mathematics, not just the application,"
she said. "It's inspiring to learn from someone so passionate about
a subject."
Last semester, Diana had the opportunity to introduce a group of Montclair
High School students to a new way of thinking about health issues. Working
on research with department colleague Michael Jones on the spread of West
Nile virus, Diana heard about the University's Detectives in the Classroom
program and decided to get involved. Headed by Mark Kaelin of Health Professions,
Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and funded by the
the National Institutes of Health, Detectives in the Classroom is a new
epidemiology curriculum for middle school students.
"It was interesting to go into a health science course as a mathematician
and say to the students, 'Look at the interdisciplinary work we're doing.
Look at the problem and how we think about it mathematically,' "
she said. "They were enthusiastic and engaged. They were able to
see the application right away, why it's important and why math is being
used."
Her research into the evolution of West Nile began as a project with a
student at New Jersey City State University, where she previously taught,
who wanted to work on math modeling in epidemiology. "We had a model
for bubonic plague in our textbook and I asked what he thought should
be changed to apply it to West Nile in New York," she explained.
"We designed the model and got the New York City Health Department
involved."
When Diana came to Montclair State her research on West Nile continued.
"The original model was only for New York City and for that one summer,
so Michael and I are working with the New York City Health Department
on extending that," she explained. "With it, we not only can
make projections about the spread of the disease, but we can advise policy
makers on how to best control it."
Whether she's doing research or teaching, Diana is dedicated to the subject
of mathematics and expects the same level of commitment from her students.
"In my abstract algebra courses, I give my students hard proofs,
meaning it might take them eight hours to do it, but they do it,"
she said. "Nothing can match the satisfaction they get from that.
I think that's what inspires them and that's the most inspiring thing
for a teacher."