Meet the Mathematics Faculty
Paul Irwin
Chair of the Mathematics Department, Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics
B.S., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; M.A., Ph.D., University of Maryland
(e-mail)
(web site)
I feel very fortunate to be teaching at Randolph College. I teach most mathematics courses on a rotating basis with other members of the department, and I also teach some elementary computer science courses. One of the things I enjoy most besides teaching and advising students is being the liaison to our junior-year-abroad program at the University of Reading, England - Randolph College Abroad: The World in Britain.
One of my interests is cryptanalysis (akin to codebreaking) and I wrote several computer programs that were included as a supplement in the third printing of the book Elementary Cryptanalysis by Abraham Sinkov.
I love to garden and enjoy the flowers and vegetables that result. I enjoy
riding a bike for exercise in the early morning hours although Lynchburg, the
City of Seven Hills, presents interesting challenges. And I love driving around
in my convertible with the top down.
Yesem Kurt
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
B.S., M.S., Middle East Technical University; Ph.D., Indiana University
(e-mail)
(web site)
I have always loved numbers but was attracted to mathematics in my first year of college when I took a course called "Discrete Mathematics". Simple yet powerful statements, their impeccable proofs, and the ingenuity and the elegance of the ideas captured me so wildly that I did not only study mathematics but also wanted to share the beauty of it with young minds. Then, it was a course in coding theory during my master's studies that helped me decide what specifically in mathematics I wanted to do. I wanted to study the applications of the theories I had been learning to real life problems. Cryptology, area of my research, is the science of secure communication. Secure communication has been relevant throughout history but it is more vital than ever now in the electronic age. The mathematics behind secret messages, online banking transactions, password protection, breaking codes, etc. is fascinating! I have worked with students during Randolph's summer research program on various aspects of cryptology and am looking forward to work with many more.
Marc Ordower
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Ph.D., SUNY, Stony Brook
(e-mail)
