Alex Waagen

Biography

I was raised in the Bay Area and have spent most of my life here, though I have lived in Japan, Florida, and Virginia while I was in the Marines, which I joined shortly after graduating high school. I graduated from UC Davis with a PhD in applied math, and spent several years teaching and tutoring calculus as a TA while getting my degree. After that, I spent nearly a decade working as a research scientist specializing in network theory before I deciding to return to teaching.

I was a poor student in high school, and I can remember how difficult the higher level mathematics seemed. I didn’t really gain a passion for mathematics until I started studying it independently, and it was clear to me that the issue was really not with mathematics, but how it had been presented to me. I think that everyone is capable of learning not only how to do mathematics to pass tests, but also how to understand and appreciate it fundamentally.

Prior to working at AJ, I spent several years working as a TA teaching supplementary classes and tutoring at the university level. I’ve always enjoyed teaching both in a-1 on-1 and in a class setting, and it’s so great to help students reach a new level of understanding, especially in subjects like calculus that might seem a little inscrutable.  I like to center teaching around the specific needs of individual students, since learning is a dynamic process and everyone learns differently and has different goals.

In my off time, I enjoy reading, going on long walks, and playing mahjong.