Here at Stevens, meeting someone who works hard to do what they love is nothing unusual. In particular, the many professors of the four schools of Stevens offer their students an intimate view of their experiences, knowledge, and skills. Stevens’ faculty’s love of teaching took center stage when Teaching Assistant Professor Sarah Goodman of the Chemical Engineering and Material Science department was selected to participate in the Math Outreach Seminar and Training (MOST) program at the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) as part of MoMath’s effort to spread STEM opportunities through math. The Stute met with Professor Goodman to learn more.
Professor Sarah Goodman attended Rutgers University, studying chemistry, before going to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for her Ph.D. in material science and engineering of electron microcity and structure, the engineering of making better light emitting diodes (LEDs). While at MIT, Goodman spent a lot of time teaching and interning at an educational not-for-profit organization. She then went into teaching K-12 students in New York City before coming to Stevens in 2022.
During the 2021-2022 school year, Goodman volunteered at MoMath, guiding guests and interpreting the museum exhibits. Her love of math, science, and teaching led to her selection for the MOST program. The MOST program selects 10 female math and other related field teachers for a summer program to help develop presentations focused on teaching anyone a complex topic with only the mathematical knowledge of someone with middle school experience.
The program included communication skills, presentation creation, and improvisation classes to help improve participants’ ability to answer questions and convey their topics more clearly. The goal of the preparation was for the teachers to give an engaging and meaningful talk to people of all backgrounds but still be able to understand the topics. Goodman’s presentation focused on the structure of materials and using diffraction to uncover the molecular and atomic structures of matter that make up everyday life. When asked, Goodman explained that her topic allows for connections between a complex mathematical subject and its practices — diffraction, and tangible things like the everyday matter everyone interacts with daily.
The Stute asked Goodman what she hopes people can take away from the MOST program and her presentation. She explained that as a child, she never really liked math and often struggled with math in school. It was not until 11th grade, Goodman explained, that math started to make sense, and her love for math began. She emphasized that math may only become interesting for someone after graduating high school, which is often too late for some students. Her goal is to change the stigma that if you are not good at math, you should not like math. She says that, as MOST is trying to do, it is possible to introduce more exciting topics and applications earlier in math curriculums and explain how basic, sometimes boring subjects like arithmetic are essential and connected to the rest of the world.
Professor Goodman’s selection for the MOST program is a testament to her dedication to teaching and spreading her love of math. Her passion has allowed her to deliver an engaging and meaningful presentation on the structure of materials and their connection to everyday life. By changing the stigma associated with math and introducing exciting topics and applications earlier in math curriculums, Goodman hopes to inspire more students to discover their love for math and pursue careers in STEM fields. We applaud her efforts and look forward to seeing the positive impact she will continue to make in the Stevens community and beyond.
