Middlesex Community College: MCC Math Professor Has Passion For Subject And Helping Students

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

12/15/2021

Aisha Arroyo, a Mathematics faculty member at Middlesex Community College, enjoys the challenge of putting the pieces of a puzzle together – whether the puzzle is the math itself or helping her students understand a concept.

At the 2021 American Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATC) conference in Phoenix, Ariz., Arroyo was on a team of three professors in the Northeast region who placed first in the faculty mathematics competition. Each professor spent 45 minutes working on an 18-question test, answering problems focused on algebra, probability and logic.

In that timeframe, Arroyo answered 13 of the questions and got them all right, claiming first place and a trophy for the Northeast regional Vice President of AMATC.

“My greatest strength is that I’m very consistent,” she said. “The test tends to be finding out the trick you need to solve the problem, and quickly.”

Middlesex students also had a chance to participate in their own competition, answering a series of 20 questions within an hour. Completed this year on campus, if they place nationally, they may qualify to win scholarship money.

For both the faculty and student tests, questions take time to figure out, according to Arroyo. There is always an answer, but participants do not have to prove their work. “It’s difficult but the prerequisite requirement of math is not that high,” Arroyo said. “It’s very accessible.”

Making math more accessible is an added value of starting at a community college and then transferring to a four-year college, Arroyo believes.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping people figure it out,” she said. “I think it can seem overwhelming for anyone to go into a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) field if they don’t have a strong background. We all want our students to succeed.”

Having earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Georgia Tech and a master’s from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she has worked for the community college system since 2012. She has been at Middlesex since 2016.

With a background in math, Arroyo’s start to teaching was as a Teaching Assistant in college where she helped classmates go over problems. She enjoys helping people understand the material and focusing on teaching, rather than researching. “Community college is just the best place to do that,” she said.

“At the community college level, the faculty members are invested in helping students learn in smaller class sizes,” Arroyo said. “I like to think that because the teachers are so interested in teaching, they show that passion for mathematics to their students. You get more in depth into subjects.”

Arroyo teaches a range of topics in math at MCC, including statistics, calculus two, linear algebra, discrete math and RampUp, MCC’s developmental program that prepares students for taking math at the college level.

For the Spring 2022 semester, MCC’s Math department is offering on-campus, online and hybrid courses for students who either “need that in person touch,” the flexibility of online classes, or the benefits of both options.

Arroyo is scheduled to teach all three formats, including online classes that have no meeting days or times but are completed fully online over the course of the semester.

For her on-campus classes, Arroyo teaches what she refers to as a “flipped classroom.” Before coming to class, students watch pre-recorded lectures that include an introduction to a topic and then work on a question to test their understanding. In class, she will go over the problem in the video, have students do some examples, and then answer questions.

Whether helping them start on their path to a STEM job or helping them to fulfill their general education requirements for a variety of majors, Arroyo is providing Middlesex students with a strong foundation in math.

“There’s a couple of reasons to pursue STEM right now,” she said. “If people are looking for a career path that pays well, have easy-to-get jobs, and have opportunities for advancement, there’s a demand for jobs in the field.”

Registration for MCC’s WinterSession and Spring 2022 semester – starting on Monday, January 3 and Monday, January 24 – are now open. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 for more information and to register for classes.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.