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Scott Stevens

Biography

Scott Stevens is a Professor of Mathematics and Dean of the Division of Information Technology and Science at Champlain College. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Vermont in 1999 in Applied Mathematics. He spent two years at The University of Montana and five years at Penn State University. He came to Champlain College in 2007. He has authored numerous research articles. Most of these involve the mathematical modeling of biomedical fluid dynamics pertaining to intracranial fluid flow and pressure. He has also authored two textbooks. The first is a combination textbook/workbook titled Introduction to Statistics, Think & Do. The second book was written for a course he developed at Champlain College titled Matrices, Vectors, and 3D Math, A Game Programming Approach with MATLAB. When he’s not working, there’s a good chance he’s hanging out with his family, swimming, or wading the rivers and streams of Vermont tangled in fly-fishing line.

Publications & Abstracts

Publications & Abstracts

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• Nate Silver: The Signal and The Noise: Why so many predications fail – but some don’t. A great book on the art/science of making predictions and why we get it wrong so often.
• Yuval Noah Harari: A Brief History of Humankind. A fascinating and surprisingly comprehensive history of Homo sapiens and the characteristics that make humans – human.
• Malcolm Gladwell: Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about People We Don’t Know. I recommend the audiobook. It’s all about what we get right and what we get wrong when interacting with people we don’t know.
• Daniel Kahneman: Thinking Fast and Slow. Setting the stage for behavioral economics and the concept of rational decisions, this book examines the contrasting forces within the human mind—immediate, instinctual reactions versus calculated, reasoned thoughts—and how they influence our behavior, judgment, and decisions in profound ways.

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“All people are different people.”

—Ted Lasso, via Coach Beard

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Dean Lawson

Biography

Dean Lawson has worked in the Games Industry for nearly 30 years, primarily as a Programmer but also as a Designer, Project Lead, and Director of Programming.

He has worked on 14+ shipped titles, including SimCity Societies, Caesar IV, Majesty, Risk: Global Domination, a number of online board game conversions for Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, and World of Zoo and Club Penguin: EPF: Herbert’s Revenge on the Nintendo DS for THQ and Disney Interactive, respectively. Throughout his career, Dean has focused on game AI and how it helps shape the player experience.

Dean’s other main passion in games is Game Architecture; how to engineer flexible technical frameworks for games. Dean advises at the EMC at Champlain College, as well as working as a contract programmer for a number of game and educational companies. Dean has been teaching at Champlain College since 2010: he previously taught Game Programming and Design at Savannah College of Art and Design.

Dean Lawson earned a BS in Computer Science from Union College in Schenectady, NY and an M.Ed in Secondary School Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

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Velpula Grace Anisha Paul

Biography

Anisha Paul is as an Adjunct Professor at Champlain college and a Forensic Toxicologist for the Vermont Forensic Laboratory. Ms. Paul holds a Master’s of Science in Forensic Science degree from Arcadia University and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Microbiology from Osmania University in India. Ms. Paul is board certified as a Diplomate in Forensic Toxicology by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology. At Champlain College Ms. Paul teaches the forensic science class and core classes. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and learning from her students.

Outside of the lab, Ms. Paul is an active member of the National Safety Council-Alcohol Drugs and Impairment division (NSC-ADID), Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT), International Alliance of Clinical and Forensic Toxicologists (IACFT), Council of Forensic Science Educators (COFSE), and Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists (NEAFS), where she currently serves on the Board of Directors. When Ms. Paul isn’t working you will find her hanging out with her two cats, dog, and turtle. She loves a good beer and is still working on truly enjoying life in the tundra!

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Jennifer Supple

Biography

Jennifer Supple has been teaching at Champlain College since 2017. She teaches classes in Environmental Science, Nutrition, and Biology. Jennifer received an M.S. in Ecology/Plant Ecology from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Natural Resources/Forest Health from the University of New Hampshire. She has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Colby College in Maine.

Jennifer’s graduate work analyzed tree ring growth and needle health to help understand the effects of air pollution and climate on white pine trees in New England. She has worked in science curriculum development with a special interest in forest health and global climate change. She is also interested in the impacts of nutrition and environmental problems on human health.

In addition to helping her students expand their knowledge of important biological, health, and environmental topics, Jennifer is committed to helping her students understand the scientific process and appreciate the relevance and impact that science has on their lives and society.

Outside the classroom, Jennifer loves to hike, trail run and ski with family and friends.

Distinctions & Awards

Space Grant Fellow, UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, & Space

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Brian Hall

Biography

By education and trade, he is a programmer and engineer. His academic interests are interdisciplinary. He is a technologist who chooses to think critically about technology and encourages others to do the same.

Publications & Abstracts

You can read more about my work at https://www.brianrhall.com.

You can find my code projects at https://github.com/brianrhall.

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“If you want to increase your success rate”¦double your failure rate.”

—T.J. Watson

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Joe Eastman

Biography

Joe is a passionate and experienced technical teacher with a diverse range of interests spanning a large spectrum of technical and non-technical disciplines. He is also dedicated to numerous outreach initiatives, business development, cultivating opportunities for students, and helping others most any way he can.

In his classroom, Joe strives to provide every student with an equal opportunity to succeed. He achieves this by using divergent teaching methods that cater to a wide range of learning styles, and by removing barriers that may stand in the way of his students’ success.

In addition to his teaching, Joe is available for program, technical, research, career, and general life advice. He offers earnest moral support and guidance to anyone who needs it, both inside and outside of the classroom.

With his years of academic and industry focus, Joe is repeatedly described as a valuable asset to Champlain’s community, as well as the Northeast region supporting hundreds of students every year. He is passionate about helping others succeed, and is dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to the tools and resources they need to achieve their goals. If you bring the hustle, then he will help you develop your best cyber self.

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Jessica Fischer

Biography

Jessica Fischer teaches a section of Biology of Nutrition & Fitness. She attended University of Rhode Island for Nutrition & Dietetics with a focus on Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. She then attended UVM to complete her graduate studies in Dietetics. She is also a Clinical Dietitian at UVM Medical Center where she counsels a variety of adult populations with chronic diseases. She is passionate about nutrition and overall wellness through movement and time spent connecting with nature. In her free time she is an avid gardener, skier, and trail walker accompanied by her dog.

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John Pile Jr

Biography

John Pile Jr is a Technical Director and Principal Engineering Manager at Schell Games. Previously a full-time professor for Champlain College, John now teaches as an adjunct faculty for the Game Studio.

John has a deep background in digital entertainment, video games, and interactive story-telling experiences for PCs, Mobile, Game Consoles, and specializes in MR / VR / XR. He is the author of “2D Graphics Programming for Games” and has presented at the Game Developer Conference on topics in computer graphics education.

Publications & Abstracts

2D Graphics Programming for Games

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Daniel Buckstein

Biography

Originally from the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, Daniel Buckstein holds degrees in Computer Science and in Game Development & Entrepreneurship. He has a keen interest various areas of mathematics, including calculus and linear algebra, which carry over to computer animation algorithms and graphics programming. His other development interests include low-level game engine and tool design, virtual reality, and augmented reality; these have been demonstrated in both industry and academic contexts. His passion for programming intertwines with his passion for teaching and he is always looking for innovative and fun ways to deliver course content.

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

Ray Tracing in One Weekend

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Alexandre Tolstenko

Biography

Alex is an experienced senior software developer who joined Champlain College in 2022. With over 15 years in the software industry, Alex has a diverse background as a software, game, blockchain, and reliability engineer, having held various positions including developer, architect, and CTO in startups. Throughout their career, Alex has delivered successful products to the market, accumulating over 250 million downloads.

Alex specializes in game development, general problem-solving, algorithms, product delivery, and team building. Some notable deliveries include implementing multiplayer networking and physics determinism for racing games, developing blockchain technology and IaaC for an NFT-based crowdfunding platform, and porting a game engine (including physics) from ObjectiveC to multiple platforms.

Originally from Brazil, Alex enjoys sports, learning new skills, and exploring emerging tech trends. They hold a BS in Computer Engineering from UNICAMP and an MS in Computer Science from UFPI, both in Brazil.

Distinctions & Awards

Unity Awards Finalist 2012;
Best paper award on SAE Aerodesign 2014;
Best paper award on international Coloproctology journal 2017
Featured Startup on Innovativa Brazil 2018;

Publications & Abstracts

Awesome GameDev Resources

Favorite Quote

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

—Walt Disney

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Melanie Brown

Biography

Dr. Melanie Brown is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and has been teaching at Champlain College since 2013. She is also the Program Director for Mathematics and oversees not only the major in Applied Mathematics and the minor in Mathematics, but also the collection of math courses that meet the needs of each of Champlain’s majors. Originally from Atlanta, GA, she graduated from Converse University with both a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. She then pursued graduate studies in mathematics, earning a Master of Arts in Mathematics from Western Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Vermont.

While her earliest research interests were in topological graph theory and combinatorial design theory, teaching at Champlain has given her the opportunity to explore applications of mathematics across a variety of disciplines. She is now especially interested in the mathematics of cybersecurity and regularly teaches a course in the mathematics of Cryptography. She also teaches more traditional math courses like Calculus I, Calculus II, and Linear Algebra, but she enjoys infusing each course with examples that demonstrate how the theoretical ideas help solve problems in “the real world.”

In addition to her teaching and administrative roles, Dr. Brown serves her faculty colleagues as the Chair of the Faculty Senate Welfare Committee. She is also a champion for gender diversity in STEAM and advises Champlain’s Womxn in Technology Club and Champlain’s Women in Cybersecurity Student Chapter. Additionally, she is a facilitator with the Champ 101 program.

In her free time, Dr. Brown is an active musician and plays clarinet with several Burlington-area ensembles.

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

• Mathematical Association of America
• Women in Cybersecurity

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Eric Winebrenner

Biography

Eric Winebrenner has always been fascinated by videogames as a unique medium that combines art, design, and technology. A founding member of local Vermont game studios, he has shipped successful commercial independent games as well as educational games that make a meaningful positive impact on the world. As a teacher, he believes that programming is a skill that empowers students to forge their own future, and constantly strives to make it accessible through innovative pedagogy. He is particularly interested in realtime rendering, game engine architecture, UI/UX, and gameplay programming.

Favorite Quote

“You can’t learn everything, but you have to convince yourself that you can learn anything.”

—John Carmack

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Michael Opperman

Biography

Michael completed his bachelors at Wagner College and has a PhD from Clarkson University, both in mathematics. Previously, he has worked as an instructor at Clarkson University, was a student teacher at Essex High School, ran the Math Lab at Colchester high school, and was an adjunct faculty member at Champlain College. Currently, he teaches a range of courses from introductory and applied statistics to a 3D math course that explores the mathematics behind game programming at Champlain College. Regardless of the course, the focus is always on the practical applications of mathematics and how students can expect to see it in their fields of study and everyday lives.

Michael has a strong interest in pedagogy and improving the student experience in the classroom. He is an active member of Champlain College’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SotL) group and has attended workshops focused on improving his teaching. Michael devotes a great amount of time to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion both inside and outside of the classroom. He is the current chair of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Gender in Information, Technology, and Sciences (DIGITS) and has attended multiple Digital Humanity Summer Institutes (DHSI).

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• I believe James Tanton does a tremendous job explaining mathematical ideas in a way that is both interesting and insightful. I find his teaching style informative and inspiring.
• I find 538 to be a valuable source of information and statistical modeling that explains their mathematical reasoning quite well.

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