Our Team

Art of Problem Solving was founded by Richard Rusczyk in 2003 to create interactive educational opportunities for avid math students. Richard is the author or a co-author of 7 AoPS textbooks and a past Director of the USA Mathematical Talent Search. He was a participant in National MATHCOUNTS, a three-time participant in the Math Olympiad Summer Program, and a USA Mathematical Olympiad winner (1989). He received the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions Paul Erdös Award in 2014. He graduated from Princeton University in 1993, and worked as a bond trader for D.E. Shaw & Company for four years. AoPS marks Richard's return to his vocation - educating motivated students.

In 2014, Glen founded a learning center in Morrisville, North Carolina, that two years later became the first AoPS Academy campus. Glen served as the National Director of AoPS Academy until his retirement in 2019. He has experience as a college math professor, statistician, and expert SAS programmer. He has been a professional math tutor for many years, and specializes in training academically-advanced and high-performing math students. Glen is a graduate of Duke University and holds a graduate degree in statistics from Boston University.

Salisa earned a BA in English from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN and an MA in English from Howard University in Washington DC. She is an author and educator. The AoPS ways of thinking, learning, teaching, and doing are exhilarating and empowering. Working with AoPS students gives her hope for the future of this world. She is constantly inspired by the passion and dedication she witnesses each day.

Dennis is a Senior Associate Director for AoPS Academy Vienna. He grew up in Northern Virginia, where he graduated from TJ before going to Virginia Tech to study physics and math. Later, he got his MT in math education from the University of Virginia. He has had a varied and colorful job history, but the one constant is the 22 summers he has spent working at the Lancaster site of Johns Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth summer camp. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching quizbowl, staffing quizbowl tournaments, and watching soccer.

Michelle is a Senior Associate Director for AoPS Academy Vienna. Her expertise in mathematics has been a lifelong passion. She earned her PhD in physics from The Catholic University of America. Her impressive post-doctoral experience includes time spent with the department of Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin and the department of Psychology at Georgetown University. She has extensive experience teaching students of all ages, from pre-school to young adults. Dr. Quigley is pleased to bring her breadth of knowledge to the classroom at AoPS Academy, where she enjoys sharing insights gained from her experience with astrophysics at NASA and her neuroscience research at the University of Texas.

Richard is the Administrative Coordinator for AoPS Academy Vienna. Earning his degree in international affairs from James Madison University in just three years, Richard has a love of learning above anything else. He is also working to earn his master's degree at George Mason University while working two jobs. Coming from a military family, Richard has seen and experienced more cultures, ideas, and people than most his age. He's always attentive, calm, and willing to lend an ear to anyone. Richard is also an entrepreneur, co-founding Mild Red, a business consultancy with a dedication and love of investigation and research few can match.

Daniel is a Front Desk Lead at AoPS Academy in Vienna, Virginia. His love of fiction in all its forms led him to pursue a degree in English with a concentration in creative writing at the University of Mary Washington. His favorite classes involved the study and writing of fantasy literature. In his spare time, Daniel continues to read fantasy and science fiction novels, short stories, and comics, while developing his own skills as a writer. He also enjoys playing the Scottish bagpipes, practicing tae kwon do, and watching British detective shows with family.

Sydney is a rising senior at Virginia Tech. She is majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and minoring in Psychology. This past semester she studied abroad through the Presidential Global Scholars program. Outside of academics, Sydney is a member of the Alpha-Rho Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity and a PPE Undergraduate Student Ambassador.

Marshall is a recent graduate from George Mason University, where he studied computer science and information technology. He is currently working towards obtaining his Comp certifications. Marshall loves to hike and is very passionate about computers. He also designs and operates websites.

Karen Lin is a rising second-year undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. Before college, she earned her IB Diploma while attending high school in Fairfax County. Karen was drawn to AoPS because of their shared enthusiasm for math, science, and education. When working with students, Karen enjoys exploring all the unique perspectives and methods students have for solving problems.

Sundari received her master's degree in mathematical statistics from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. She has been a math tutor for over 8 years. Sundari found a couple of AoPS books online in the early 2000s and found the approach to problem-solving so refreshing. She feels at home teaching math at AoPS. Sundari loves teaching math to all ages. Her best moment happens often when students understand math concepts and exclaim "AHA, that's how the problem is solved!". Sundari loves explaining the core concept of the day's topic in the first few minutes of the class. Then she gets into problem-solving by inviting students to come to the whiteboard and share their approach.

Jessica is an experienced teacher who has worked with young students and adult learners all over the world. Her degree is in elementary and middle school education, and she has extensive experience in the areas of special needs, early childhood, and learning disabilities. Jessica has taught in private and public schools in Indiana, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C., as well as in India and Kosovo, where she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English and mentoring fellow teachers. She graduated with her master’s degree in communication from Georgetown University and works as a Leadership Development Training Specialist for the Department of Homeland Security. Beyond the classroom, Jessica enjoys long runs, reading, and finding opportunities to interact with and learn about different cultures.

Marvin is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley where he studied mathematics specializing in algebraic geometry and algebraic topology. He discovered a love for teaching during his undergraduate studies where he assisted students in mathematics and physics. He enjoys programming mathematical visualization tools, primarily for hyperbolic tilings. When not doing math related activities, he enjoys playing guitar and watching horror movies.

Irayah has always had a profound love for reading and writing, having a particular affinity for grammar. This love prompted her to change her academic pursuits from STEM to English while pursuing her undergraduate studies at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. She then went on to get a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Reading/Writing/Literacy. Since then, she has worked as a reading intervention specialist in both Philadelphia and Washington DC. She also works as a writing coach for the capstone course at UPenn. When she is not teaching, she is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction. Aside from working and school, Irayah enjoys spending time with her son and family. She is also an avid traveler, having visited 3 continents and have lived in 2.

Paul Cote has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Maryland, where he currently teaches as a senior lecturer in English and film studies. He was drawn to AoPS for the opportunity to help students develop the creative and critical thinking skills they will need to thrive in a college environment. He loves the unrestrained frankness and creativity of the students at AoPS, who always surprise him. His teaching style is dedicated to challenging students to make each project the best version of itself, and he encourages students to take creative risks.

Huaizhang earned an undergraduate degree in physics from Peking University and went on to earn a PhD in particle physics from Yale University. Currently, he is a quantitative hedge fund manager who develops mathematically sophisticated investment strategies. He discovered his enthusiasm for teaching math in AoPS after his own child took the class here. His teaching style is mostly teacher-centered, but asking engaging questions to start discussions. He often goes beyond lectures to include practical applications of math in physics and finance.

David holds degrees in computer science, mathematics, and privacy engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He's consulted for the UN, coded for Microsoft, and conducted a genuine parapsychology experiment. While working on his master's degree, he served as a teaching assistant, helping students from a range of backgrounds understand technical privacy concepts. Less officially, he cheerily shares his math knowledge with family, friends, and at times nearby strangers. In his spare time, he writes, cooks, and performs magic.

Dr. Eldeib has always loved mathematics. He has extensive experience teaching students of all ages, from younger children up to college students at George Mason University where he has taught many classes. He currently teaches mathematics and computer science at Bard High School Early College in Washington, D.C. Dr. Eldeib has his PhD in systems engineering from the University of Virginia. He has used his extensive knowledge of mathematics to train many of his clients in the satellite communications industry, while at the same time teaching college courses and tutoring his own very talented children.

David is a science, mathematics and English teacher who takes a personal interest in all of his students. After a career as a research physicist in nuclear energy and as an image analyst for the Hubble Space Telescope and other missions, he transitioned to teaching students on all levels. He has thirteen years of experience helping students advance in their course work and in their special areas of interest. Students have continually expressed appreciation to him for his role in their success, both for short-term support and long-term meaningful academic relationships. David studied mathematics and physics at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art (BS) and Theoretical Plasma Physics at Columbia University (MPhil and PhD) in New York City.

Dr. Gossmann studied mathematics, biology, and education, earning her PhD in Mathematics from Tulane University with research in computational biofluid dynamics. She is currently a college math professor and homeschool teacher in addition to her work at AoPS, but has taught math to all ages from preschool through upper division university in a variety of educational settings. Dr. Gossmann was drawn to AoPS by its focus on deep understanding and problem-solving, as well as its fun and engaging approach to challenging and beautiful mathematics. She loves working with students because there is nothing more fun than doing math with other people, and no people more fun to do math with than kids. She loves games, puzzles, and jokes; highly values critical thinking, good questions, and deep understanding; and has a boisterous personality. Dr. Gossmann brings eclectic teaching styles to the classroom to tailor learning to individual students and strives to make every lesson interactive, effective, and fun.

Ms. Dee graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a major in economics and minors in anthropology and math. She taught English while she was living in Germany. In Maryland, she worked as a math teacher for Isaac J Gourdine Middle School. Currently, she is a math instructor at AoPS and a facilitator for Sound Healing. She was drawn to AoPS because the math strategies that were being taught were different (better) than the curriculum she was teaching from. Ms. Dee loves working with her students because they enjoy learning math. Her teaching style is a blend of coaching and facilitating with a lot of laughter!

Melissa is an experienced educator who graduated from Meredith College in 2011 with a BA in mathematics and a Middle Grades Teaching Licensure. She began teaching at AoPS Academy Morrisville in October 2018 and has been a part of the Vienna team for 4 years in addition to her day job teaching at the Academy of Christian Education in Reston, VA. She enjoys working with AoPS students in all the Beast Academy math classes from 2nd through 5th grades, along with Pre-Algebra. Her main goal is to inspire her students to embrace the challenge of growth through learning. Her hope is that they leave the classroom ready to confidently and conscientiously engage with the constant stream of information stimulus surrounding them.

James is an educator, poet, playwright, and novelist. James has been a teacher of English language and literature for 18 years and has worked in the US, China, Bolivia, and Taiwan. He holds a BA in English from University of South Carolina and an MA in English from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. His published works include two novels, one nonfiction book, two dozen poems, and two full-length plays. James currently teaches English literature at an international school in Washington, DC and has taught ELA classes at Art of Problem Solving since 2022.

Nicole earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Mary Washington and her master's degree in poetry from George Mason University. Her love of concise, impactful language has paved the way for Nicole to work as an editor for a leading international development company. She's also worked as a marketing coordinator, writing tutor, and teacher. First introduced to AoPS during grad school in 2018, Nicole was immediately drawn to the educators' excitement and the students' inquisitive natures. These students are part of what keeps her coming back. Their weird and wonderful brains and humor make the classroom more entertaining, while she gets to help them discover how amazing creative writing and language arts can be. Generally laid back, Nicole embraces a student-centered classroom led through great discussions and an exploratory mindset.

Reese grew up in Fairhope, Alabama, where he graduated high school with his IB Diploma in 2016. Here, he developed a love for math, writing, and education as a whole, often considering how he would teach his own classes one day. In 2020, he graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Bachelor of Science in social work and a minor in creative writing. The same year, he was awarded Outstanding Student of the Year by the faculty of UAB’s School of Social Work. Immediately out of college, he served two years as a middle school mathematics teacher in the Birmingham area under Teach for America. He now attends the University of Maryland, College Park to receive a master's degree in International Education Policy.

Alessandra, an astrophysicist by training, with a doctorate in physics from the University of Milan, has taught physics and mathematics at the middle and high school levels on three continents—in Milano (Italy), Manila (Philippines), and the greater Washington area (USA) and in both the AP and IB systems. She has taught everything from pre-algebra to calculus 2 (equivalent to AP Calculus BC) at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, MD for eleven years. Alessandra likes to be engaged in professional associations such as NCTM. She is an editor for the NCTM journal “Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching” pre-K -12 and has published articles and blogs in various professional magazines such as MTMS, AMLE Magazine, JAIMS, The Australian Mathematics Teacher, Edutopia, and Mathematics in School. She greatly enjoyed collaborating with TED Ed on a couple of TED Ed lessons on the history of numerical systems and on banned numbers. Besides teaching, Alessandra likes to spend her time reading, hiking, watching good movies, knitting, and crocheting, and making in general.

Kelly Knox has a proven track record of over two decades in teaching, curriculum development, student mentoring, and art show curation. Knox is passionate about fostering creativity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. Since 1998, Knox has taught college, high school and private academy courses for students ranging in age from 8 to 80. He is a very experienced and skilled Fine Arts, Humanities, and Theater professional with a master's degree in the humanities and a bachelor's degree in drama. Knox has demonstrated expertise in teaching, writing, painting, drawing, art history, theater writing and directing, as well as poetry writing and professional editing. Knox began his teaching career at two small colleges in Arizona and California, teaching art, the humanities, art history, acting and theater history. In 2017 he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he taught both academic and art courses briefly, at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. When the Art Institutes closed, he moved to the East Coast, where he currently teaches part-time at a small, private art school in Virginia, as well as teaching for AoPS Academy.

Raji has a BS in math and physics, and master's degrees in engineering from the Indian Institute of Science and the University of Southern California. In addition to over 25 years of experience in the tech industry, she has been an instructor for engineering courses, a Math Olympiad coach, and a volunteer for FIRST Robotics. Raji has always been fascinated by the logical foundation of math. She is passionate about helping students cultivate an aptitude and admiration for math. She believes that the AoPS curriculum provides a comprehensive framework to develop a sound understanding of the concepts and to pursue deductive reasoning to solve problems.

Sanggoo graduated from the University of Arizona with a PhD degree in physics. After working as a scientist and optical engineer at various institutes in Japan, Korea and the USA, he began tutoring in mathematics and physics. For the past decade, he taught all levels in both subjects. He enjoys working with AoPS students who are up for the challenges of learning higher-level math and are enthusiastic to participate in various competitions.

Ms. Main earned her bachelor’s degrees in English and communications arts and sciences with concentrations in rhetoric and technical writing from Penn State University. She also received her M.E.d. in curriculum and instruction, Secondary English Education from George Mason University. Ms. Main's work experience ranges from teaching high school English in Fairfax County to practicing technical writing and editing. Her love for learning and critical thinking is what drew her to teaching with AoPS, as she believes in the access and ambition of education. She loves watching students solve problems and experience those "Ah ha!" moments while writing and brainstorming ideas. She would describe her teaching style as conversational and relaxed, yet confident and exciting. Making students feel comfortable while also holding them to high expectations is important to her.

Ms. Mallory (or Ms. M) has been a middle school humanities teacher for 7 years now, and is currently a 6th grade ELA teacher in Washington, D.C. She has a bachelor of science degree from Virginia State University. Her career has encompassed teaching in some capacity since 2006, but these past 7 years as an educator have been some of the best experiences in her professional career to date! As a member of a large family of educators, she has learned to fully immerse herself into learning any and everything, because that's what makes for an effective teacher. She loves to read and write! Her hope is to impart one of the same loves, or both, onto her students. She can't wait to work with the amazing kiddos of AoPS!

Sarah Manchester has been a math teacher and math team coach for almost three decades. Her passion for problem-solving was ignited in elementary school with the 'problem of the week' contest and by the end of high school, she had participated in many contests at the local, state, and national level. Over the past two decades, she has seen the tremendous progress made by many of her mathletes through their work with AoPS and decided she would enjoy becoming part of the AoPS team. She loves it when students are tenacious about a problem, revising their strategies, until the light bulb comes on and the aha moment arrives! She encourages collaboration and prefers that students be the ones teaching each other, with her providing thought-provoking questions, as well as hints and guidance when needed. And of course, students are also welcome to provide those questions!

Originally from Ukraine, Oly graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and worked in data analytics all over the world. Oly enjoys the community of intelligent and kind people at AoPS and is delighted to contribute her skills and passion for teaching math to the most talented kids in the DMV community. Oly drives her classes with energy and curiosity, emphasizing team work, collaboration and friendly competition.

Vanita has a master's degree in astrophysics and a diploma in systems analysis & design. She started her professional life teaching and tutoring Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics to elementary through high school students and computer courses to adults. After 25 years in an IT career, she wanted to re-embrace her passion for teaching. Her extensive research looking for places that offered exceptionally high quality of education led to AoPS. She believes that every child is unique and talented, and their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn is unparalleled! She also believes that teaching isn’t a one-way street: EVERY child has something to teach her as well and helps her grow as a person. In addition to blanket classroom instruction, she adapts a one-on-one style of teaching in the classroom, depending on the individual.

Eddie Perez spent way too much time as a child watching movies and video games, and as a result, found he had no choice but to channel all that knowledge into the pursuit of a media studies (and history) bachelor's degree at the College of William and Mary, as well as a media studies master's degree at Penn State. He also plays guitar, though not very well. He is thrilled to be working at AoPS.

Dan is a graduate of George Mason University where he studied English with a concentration in writing and rhetoric. At Mason, he maintained many roles including resident assistant, University 100 advisor, orientation leader, and Writing Center peer consultant. Dan fell in love with the center’s holistic approach and found joy in helping writers find where they want to develop their skills. He is excited to help more budding students find what drives them as thinkers and communicators.

Carling earned an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University, and she works as a full-time editor when she is not teaching at AoPS. She loves teaching AoPS language arts because of the fascinating, fun, adventurous curriculum that combines creative writing with history that her students expand with wild words, theories, and enthusiasm.

Tim has been working with kids from elementary to high school levels on their math learning journey. While working towards his Ph.D., he was a course instructor and teaching assistant for several undergraduate courses in applied mathematics and engineering. He is passionate about teaching mathematics and helping students improve critical thinking skills. Tim earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, and he also holds a master’s degree in computer science. Beyond the classroom, Tim enjoys coding and hiking.

Cezar received his bachelor's in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University in 2004. He participated in math competitions throughout middle and high school but did not discover AoPS until 2013. As soon as he first discovered their textbooks and proceeded to take a class, he went on to become a grader and TA for their online classes. The books are a breath of fresh air and present mathematics rigorously and cleverly. Cezar feels the students are fun, full of energy, and very curious about learning. Teaching them is a very energizing experience, reminding him of how much fun it was to be a student. It's nice to be able to get to interact and do interesting mathematics with them. He enjoys asking them lots of questions and leading them towards drawing their own conclusions. He wants them to feel like explorers, searching and wondering, excited about the act of discovery. Whenever there is an opportunity to go down a rabbit hole, they will usually take it.

Niki earned her two master’s degrees in English and German language and literature at the University of Pécs, Faculty of Humanities, in her home country, Hungary. She has been teaching students of all age groups in Virginia since 2015, nurturing their love for reading and writing, and guiding them in improving their skills to become the best Language Arts Wizards they possibly can be. She is elated to be working together with the team at AoPS Academy in Vienna, where she can embark with learners on a mutual journey of fun discoveries, exciting book reviews, engaging compositions, and splendid opportunities facilitating personal growth. Nothing makes her happier than seeing that wonderful “Eureka!” moment sparkling in the eyes of her students.

Kaden Wlosko is a former tutor and medical scribe with a bachelor's in psychology and biology, hoping to go to medical school for psychiatry. They have an individualized, open teaching style that emphasizes different learning styles, and they work to make lessons relatable with real-life examples and references. They were particularly drawn to AoPS's discussion-based lesson structure. They have a passion for teaching as much as learning, and they find it deeply satisfying and joyful to watch students have that first, "I've got it!" moment.