My wife's name is Elizabeth, and we have three sons. Frank Joseph is our oldest and is 11 years old, Raymond Edward is our middle child and is 8 years old, and Abraham Celaya is 4 years old. And we are expecting the birth of our first girl on December 28! Her name will be Maya Elizabeth.
Besides spending time with my family, I enjoy hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting. I also am passionate about football and baseball. I love my job here at Glendale Community College because I enjoy the interaction with my students and I like the challenge of helping them improve their mathematical skills.
I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from Arizona State University in 1991. I then received my Master of Science Degree in Mathematics from Purdue University in 1993. I began my educational career at the Air Force Academy, and my career goal at the time was to be a combat pilot. However, after a few setbacks, I decided to attend ASU, fell in love with the beauty of mathematics, and decided to be a teacher.
I have played a role in the MI/LfU Program at GCC for five years.
I have tried using MI/LfU in a variety of math classes from MAT 120 (Intermediate
Algebra) thru MAT 220 (Calculus 1). I am always looking for another
avenue to increase students' understanding of mathematics and I have found
that MI/LfU provides a great opportunity for students to express their
knowledge. Students are encouraged and challenged to explore mathematics
in their personal lives and it breaks up the normal lecture routine with
class "performances of understanding" that enliven the learning experience.
I know how frustrated many students are with math. This gives them an opportunity
to "shine."
Frank will be presenting the session, "Student Apathy: Overcoming
this Mathematical Obstacle."