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, 2^nd 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.