Calculus is a fascinating and essential subject, rich both in elegant ideas and practical applications, yet too many students perceive it as dry, or opaque, or a hurdle to be overcome en route to pursuing other goals. In this talk, mathematician Dr. Jan Cannizzo will diagnose the problems that plague the typical calculus classroom and discuss what can be done to make calculus come to life in the minds of those who study it. Jan Cannizzo has been a faculty member in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Stevens since 2014. Jan is passionate about dispelling the common misconception that math is inherently dry or inaccessible, merely a hurdle to overcome en route to pursuing other goals. He is a co-organizer and the master of ceremonies of the annual Reimagining Calculus Education conference. Together with colleagues, he helps run the Stevens Math Olympiad and Math Circle initiatives, outreach programs that aim to get schoolchildren in local schools excited about mathematics. In addition to teaching precalculus through multivariable calculus, he has been instrumental in the development of the Stevens Calculus System, an innovative approach to freshman calculus education. Jan received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Vadim Kaimanovich. In 2017, he received the Harvey N. Davis Distinguished Professor award for excellence in teaching. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
