John Mayberry
PhD, University of Southern California, 2008
MA, University of Southern California, 2004
BA, California State University Fullerton, 2003
My enjoyment of mathematics has always come first and foremost from my enjoyment of discovery. As an instructor of mathematics, I strive to share that joy with my students while working toward the ultimate goal of instilling in them a deeper understanding of mathematics as a whole and an increased aptitude for solving problems in their everyday life. Throughout my 15+ years as an educator, I have found myself learning as much from my students as I hope they learn from me. I love experimenting with new ways of organizing my courses to encourage more inquiry based learning although admittedly, this doesn't always go according to plan...
My favorite part about teaching is getting to know my students and understanding their individual interests and passions. This helps me create a classroom atmosphere in which they can feel comfortable becoming actively involved in their learning. Mathematics is not a passive discipline and students learn best in an environment where they can feel free to ask questions and take part in discussions with their instructor and their classmates. Every course comes equipped with its own set of challenges, and teaching a wide variety of different courses at every level has taught me the importance of being able to adapt one's style and methods to better serve each student's individual needs.
Becoming a good teacher, like excelling at anything in life, is a continual process of growth and development. I am grateful for being a part of a university that encourages me and all other members of their faculty in this process!
My background is in applied probability with a particular emphasis on mathematical models in biology, but since coming to Pacific, my interests have shifted towards statistical consulting and data analysis. Our "small world" environment here at Pacific is perfect for interdisciplinary collaborations and as a result, I have had the opportunity to work on projects with colleagues in athletics, biology, business, chemistry, dentistry, international studies, pharmacy, and speech pathology. For example, recently worked with James Graham, head water polo coach at Pacific, on the analysis of key performance indicators in college and international water polo contests. Team USA recently added a Water Polo Analytics page to highlight some of our work.
In addition, I have overseen several undergraduate research projects during my time at Pacific including a look at Markov chain models for the spread of beneficial alleles in diploid populations (Nicolas Lytal, class of '12), the study of random graph models for the spread of influenza at Pacific (Austin Tuttle, class of '14 and Maria Nattestad, class of '13), the creation of a water polo database management system (James Price, class of '15), and investigating the Markovian nature of water polo possessions (Tim Shumate, class of '17). I am always looking for more students who are crazy enough to enter the world of mathematical modeling, a mysterious land where every step you take further envelops you in the quicksand of uncertainty.
