Reza Sarhangi received his B.S. in mathematics from Pars College,
Tehran, Iran
and then received certificates in Teaching Methodologies in Elementary and also
Secondary Mathematics Education from Teacher
University, Tehran, Iran.
Then, in addition to teaching mathematics in high schools he became a college
educator. He also worked as a graphic artist, drama teacher, play writer
and director, and scene designer before coming to the US in 1986. He
received a M.S. in Mathematics and a PhD in Applied Mathematics under the
supervision of the late Professor H. Wang in the controllability and stabilizability of distributed parameter systems
(hyperbolic systems) from Wichita State University
in Kansas
through a fellowship provided by that university. He also studied electrical
engineering at a doctoral level before accepting a faculty position at Southwestern College
in Kansas in
1994. His mathematical interests include Mathematics Instructional
Technology, Control Theory, Functional Analysis, and Mathematical
Connections in Art.
During 1996-1997 he coordinated a program involving
technological applications for mathematical studies. This program was awarded
as one of the top 20 nationwide for the Innovative Programs Using Technology
in Mathematics Service Courses supported by the Annenberg/CPB Project, the
National Science Foundation (NSF), and Central Michigan
University. In 1997, with
the help of a group of students he wrote and directed a drama titled “Miracle
in Bus Station Number 13” in Winfield,
Kansas. He received the
2000 Campus-wide Fassnacht Exemplary Teaching
Award at Southwestern
College on April
2000. He chaired the department of mathematics at Southwestern
College for several years before
joining Towson University in the fall of 2000, where he
is currently professor of mathematics.
Reza Sarhangi has a wide range of interests both in
mathematics and in mathematics education. He has published numerous articles in
both fields in prestigious journals such as IEEE Transaction on Automatic
Control, Journal of Vibrations and Control, International Journal of Applied
Mathematics and Computer Science, International Journal of Systems Science,
and The International Journal of Architecture and Mathematics, and has
presented his work at a variety of national and international conferences. Reza
Sarhangi has a college textbook in geometry: “Elements of Geometry for
Teachers, 2nd Edition”.
In addition, he has been the director and the proceedings
editor and co-editor for the annual international conference of Bridges:
Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and Science. The Bridges Conference
is a gathering of mathematics educators, visual artists, musicians, and
computer scientists from several schools and countries. The purpose of
the conference is to explore the links among disciplines through mathematical
properties of objects and matter. The conference started at Southwestern College from 1998 and is conducted
annually. The 2002 Bridges Conference was held at Towson
University
during the last week of July. The 2003 Bridges Conference was a joint
project with ISAMA which was held in the University of
Granada, Spain. The 2005 Renaissance Banff Conference, jointly organized by Banff
International Research Station, and Canadian Mathematical Society, and Bridges
included many education-related mathematics and art presentations. The 2006 Bridges Conference was held at the Institute of Education,
University of London, United Kingdom.