ANGELINA DOHRE
Special to the Leader
Robert Rogers, mathematics professor, was inducted into the New York State Mathematics Educators’ Hall of Fame on Sept. 23.
Rogers grew up in Cheektowaga, New York, and after graduating high school, he attended Buffalo State and chose to major in mathematics with a certification for a secondary education.
“I had always intended on being a high school math teacher,” he said.
Although it was entirely unplanned, Rogers ended up attending graduate school. He was recommended from Buffalo State to the chair of the mathematics department in Syracuse.
“So my fiancée, now my wife, and I headed up to Syracuse that weekend, and I met with [the chair],” he said. “It’s funny, I never talked about graduate school with him. We just talked about math.”
Rogers received his master’s in mathematics at Syracuse University, and headed back to Buffalo, where he earned his Ph.D in Mathematics at SUNY Buffalo, specializing in functional analysis/operator theory.
Once he finished his education, Rogers found that it wasn’t very difficult to find a job in the field of mathematics.
“At the time, there were a lot of job openings in math,” he said. “Within a few years, the demand for people with Ph.Ds in math and academia had really dried up. The timing was perfect for me.”
While he looked for a job, Rogers made it clear that he wanted to teach at a small, primarily undergraduate institution where he could get to know students.
After he talked with the chair of the mathematics department at SUNY Buffalo, Rogers attended a yearly joint math meeting in San Antonio and looked at the job registries they had.
“At these job registries, you get a mailbox where people can leave you notes,” he said. “I got a note from someone from Fredonia asking to meet with me.”
Fredonia offered a job to Rogers, and he and his wife liked the small one-hour distance from Buffalo.
“I always liked the people here. That’s what really drew me to Fredonia,” he said. “I met a lot of really nice people at a lot of places, but I know that even if I disagree with someone here, I know they’re not thinking selfishly, but they’re thinking of the students. I know that everyone’s hearts are in the right place, and that is not a given, necessarily, in academia.”
When it comes to teaching, Rogers’ mission is to make math appreciated.
“Most of the math that people learned was not the fun stuff, and people think that’s what math is,” said Rogers. “Even mathematicians would say, ‘That would suck.’ It’s necessary to learn, but it’s not the ends itself. People don’t learn the literary part of math, which, to me, is the fun part.”
Outside of teaching, Rogers enjoys woodworking and cabinetry, which he equates to “like solving a problem,” and playing hockey.
“The younger guys I play with make me look so slow,” he said. “So I’ve learned to play smart, but even if I play smart, they still make me look silly.”
At Fredonia, Rogers has certainly positively impacted the Mathematical Sciences Department.
“He is a role model, he’s been in the department for a long time, and his expertise in math and math education is just remarkable,” Department Chair Julia Wilson said. “He is also a great colleague. I’ve learned a lot from him over the years.”
Interacting with students is Rogers’ favorite part of the job, and it shows.
“He’s very passionate with the students and spends a lot of time with them,” assistant professor Lan Cheng said. “All the students love him.”
Having Rogers inducted into the Hall of Fame leaves a mark not only on the Department, but more so on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the university itself.
“It draws attention to our math education program, which is one of the best. I think it might help with recruitment, as well,” Wilson said. “We always knew [Rogers] had these gifts and knew he’s a very good math educator. We’re glad that he’s achieving this recognition.”