MEDIA, Pa. – John Brown joined Penn State Brandywine as an assistant teaching professor of mathematics in August. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and he received his doctoral degree in mathematics from Boston University. With over 30 years of teaching experience in mathematics at the university level, Brown is looking forward to imparting his love of mathematics to his students and helping them with whatever they need.
Brandywine: What courses will you be teaching this year?
Brown: This semester, I am teaching College Algebra II (MATH 22) and Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (MATH 140).
Brandywine: What made you interested in teaching at Brandywine?
Brown: I really like the small-campus feel of Penn State Brandywine. Coming from Cabrini University, which was also small, I wanted to be in a similar environment. The atmosphere here is very collegial. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming as well.
Brandywine: What is your background and experience?
Brown: I got my doctoral degree in 1991 so I could become a college professor. Once I graduated, I got a teaching job at a small college in Massachusetts, but it was mostly business math, which I enjoyed but after a while, I decided I wanted to teach in a liberal arts setting where I could teach some higher-level mathematics as well. In 1999, I applied for a teaching job at Cabrini and was there until it closed in 2024. I was a department chair there for 21 of those years.
Brandywine: What are your research interests?
Brown: I’m interested in researching applied mathematics, so differential equations and mathematical modeling. I really enjoy working with students on these topics, especially in research projects and capstone projects.
Brandywine: What made you interested in pursuing a degree and career in mathematics?
Brown: I’ve always been interested in mathematics, which is why I pursued all my degrees in the subject, but upon graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. I ended up getting my master’s degree. During my master’s program, I signed up to be a teaching assistant, and the people running the program told me, “You’ve been here for four years and know our students. Teach your own course.” I was terrified and didn’t have any prior teaching experience, but it was through that experience that I learned how much I loved to teach. I went on to get my doctorate so I could teach.
Brandywine: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Brown: I enjoy fixing things; I have my own workshop in my basement where I repair things around the house or fix my granddaughter’s toys. I also enjoy gardening. I’m currently growing peppers, tomatoes, corn, squash and other vegetables. I’m interested in genealogy as well. During my college years, I had a summer job in Washington, D.C., and I went to the National Archives to look at my family history. That’s where it all started. I’ve traced my maternal grandmother’s family back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.