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.

Roger is the Campus Director for AoPS Academy Bellevue. His love of reading and writing began at five years old, when he immigrated to the United States from China. To help him learn English, his mother took him to the local library every week, where he checked out piles of books each visit. Roger completed his Ph.D. in English with a focus in Language and Rhetoric at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Before joining the team in 2021, Roger was an assistant professor of writing and rhetoric at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. He has experience teaching writing in a variety of contexts, from running poetry workshops with 4th and 5th graders to leading college-level rhetoric courses.

Matt's talent for numbers and computation was shaped into a passion for mathematics after his first AMC 10 as a freshman in high school. Matt holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College and a master's degree in applied mathematics from Cornell University. Before joining AoPS, Matt was a remote instructor and tutor for primary and secondary classrooms across the nation with Elevate K-12. Matt hopes to continue to build STEM pathways for marginalized, underrepresented, and low-income communities. In his spare time, Matt enjoys reading and watching works of science fiction and magical realism, recreating his family's Cambodian recipes, and tinkering with video games.

Grace is an Associate Director for AoPS Academy Bellevue. Her love for teaching began before a basement lecture hall of Beanie Babies. Grace holds a BA in creative writing from the University of Washington and a master’s in teaching from Seattle University. She is passionate about the performing arts, memoir writing, and so-bad-they’re-good puns. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in social justice, criticality, and laughter. Before joining AoPS, she taught middle school Language Arts in Seattle. In her free time, Grace enjoys lifting weights, completing crossword puzzles, and cuddling with her cats, Leo and Peanut Butter.

Sasha is an Associate Director for AoPS Academy Bellevue. Her love of math started at an early age when she realized that she didn't need to understand the English language to be able to communicate a math problem. Sasha received her bachelor's degree in mathematics from Southern New Hampshire University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in mathematics at Shawnee State University. Prior to joining AoPS, Sasha was the Center Director for Mathnasium in Macon, Georgia, teaching students ranging from second grade to senior year of high school. She is originally from Okinawa, Japan and has been in the United States for 19 years. She loves to spend time with her family and her husky and German shepherd mix.

Leah is the Administrative Coordinator at AoPS Academy Bellevue. She grew up in Austin, Texas, but moved to Seattle for school. In 2019, she graduated from Seattle University where she studied Cultural Anthropology and History. Leah enjoys learning about peoples' everyday lives, and the creative ways they solve problems. In her free time, she can be found crocheting, watching an old movie, gardening, or hanging out with her cat and two dogs. Her comfort food is pho.

Shawna is the Front Desk Lead for AoPS Academy Bellevue. She is an aspiring fiction writer and a crochet hobbyist. She spent thirteen years as a barista before transitioning her career to that of an administrative direction when working as a Provider Support Staff with Mindful Therapy Group for a year. She is excited to apply all of her skills and experience from her previous position to help the AoPS Academy team succeed and has greatly enjoyed getting to know and work with the team here! She loves watching scary movies and groovin' to her music while working on her many craft projects.

Kris is a Front Desk Associate at AoPS Academy Bellevue. Kris is a Junior at Bothell High School and is doing Running Start at Cascadia College. At her high school, She is the Vice President of Leadership for her school’s DECA club. When she has free time, she loves spending it with her family and friends. Kris is passionate about being creative and helpful.

Brandon is a Front Desk Associate for AoPS Academy Bellevue and a student at Lakeside High School. He has worked with children and adults as a volunteer tutor for the past two years. He is currently part of the Bellevue Art Museum's Teen Art Council, working with other students to plan and curate events and exhibitions. Brandon is passionate about math and chess, regularly participating in competitions and tournaments. He also loves boxing, skiing, drawing, and meeting new people!

Rolly is a Front Desk Associate for AoPS Academy Bellevue. She has been part of the education industry as a student counselor, administrator, and teacher since 2002. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bhopal School Of Social Sciences in India. In her spare time, she loves painting and getting outdoors with her family.

Rayhan is a Math Teaching Assistant for AoPS Academy Bellevue and a high school senior. His passion for math started in elementary school while learning about unit prices, as he enjoyed using math to solve real-world problems. He’s been teaching for over two years, serving as a tutor, a Middle School Debate Coach, and a mentor to his school’s middle school students. In 2021, he joined the AoPS team as a Summer Language Arts Teaching Assistant, and has continued throughout the academic year by running office hours for Math Levels 2-5 students. He loves helping students tackle complex problems and guiding them to understanding. In his free time, he plays squash (the sport), whips up new recipes, and volunteers for community organizations!

Victor is a Math Teaching Assistant for AoPS Academy Bellevue and a student at the University of Washington. His love of math was sparked by the AoPS Introduction to Geometry book, (his #1 recommendation to anyone looking to get into contest math) which led to him joining the Berkeley Math Circle in California and participating in contests like AMC and AIME in high school. Victor has also participated in Olympiads and contests such as the BAMO (Bay Area Math Olympiad). Outside of math, he enjoys learning new languages (currently Japanese) and high velocity nocturnal activities.

Emily has been unavoidably fascinated with math since a very young age. Maybe it was her grandfather teaching her carryover addition when she was 5 or her uncle explaining imaginary numbers when she was 8. Whatever the source, her passion for mathematics only intensified as she took college courses in high school; focused on pure math in college; did original research in graph theory and combinatorics; tutored middle school, high school, and college level math, and published math related articles. Likewise, her interest in teaching started early and grew through various mentoring opportunities that presented themselves. She has coached elementary and middle school robotics teams, supported naturalist summer camps, taught intensive robotics courses, tutored math, and led workshops and projects in a makerspace. She’s ecstatic to be able to combine her two passions as a math instructor at AoPS.

Robert is a Senior Instructor for AoPS Academy Bellevue. He has been teaching for over fifteen years and has taught in four different countries outside of the United States. He has enjoyed being exposed to the many cultures and ways that foreign students learn math. He was educated at both the University of Washington and Washington State University and holds a master's degree in education as well as two undergraduate degrees in mathematics and statistics. His love of math was inspired by his early reading of books on astronomy, the artwork of M.C. Escher, and the many road atlases that his grandparents would gift to him at Christmas. Problem solving and puzzles are big interests of his and he enjoys seeing all the the ways our students approach the subject. He hopes to share his experience and learn from his fellow teachers in his new Senior Instructor role.

Saurabh is an accomplished data scientist who loves mathematics. He received his Bachelor of Technology degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and his PhD from University of Florida, both in chemical engineering (with a minor in mathematics). Saurabh worked as a software engineer at Intel for eight years before moving to Seattle in 2016 where he currently works as a data scientist at Microsoft. In addition to his professional work, Saurabh has a passion for teaching mathematics to elementary and middle school children, and he is particularly enthusiastic about coaching them for competitive mathematics. Saurabh's mission is to make mathematics fun, simple, and logical for young students, inspiring them to become curious learners who can excel beyond their dreams. When he's not working or coaching, Saurabh enjoys traveling with his family, exploring new cuisines, and listening to music.

Jeremiah Allen has been teaching writing and language arts to many ages and levels since he earned his master's degree in English in 2015 from California State University, Long Beach. He has authored a textbook and edited and published articles about writing at the college level and currently teaches English at Bellevue College. While not in the classroom, you can find Mr. Allen doing just about anything outdoors or spending time with his best friend--his dog, Opie!

Zheyi received her Ph.D degree in applied physics from Rice University in 2008. She then worked for Shell as an engineer for 10 years before moving to Seattle with her family. Since then, Zheyi has taught math, physics and engineering classes at top private schools in the Seattle area. She loves teaching and believes personalized teaching is the trend. She also believes interest is the best teacher, and identifying and inspiring the curiosity of the students in their interested areas is her mission. She wants to bring her experience to AoPS and help her students achieve their full potential, regardless of their intelligence level and cultural background.

For as long as he can remember, Daniel has had a deep love for a good story, be it in a book, movie, song, or the story of any person he meets. It is this love for stories, as well as the thoughtful conversations and critical thinking that naturally results from good stories, that led to Daniel getting his bachelor's degree in English at George Fox University, followed by his master's degree in Education from PLU. Daniel finds it incredibly enjoyable and rewarding to see students wrestling with the important themes and ideas found in stories, and always seeks to find a way for students to practice communicating their ideas thoughtfully, be it through speaking or writing. When not in the classroom, Daniel can be found playing ultimate frisbee and Spikeball in rain, snow, and shine.

As a kid, Allison loved solving puzzles and logic problems, and she still does today! Her love of problem solving prompted her to pursue a BS in applied mathematics from UCLA. While completing her undergraduate degree, Allison dabbled in environmental research through UCLA and NOAA, but she found her true passion while working with professors teaching lower division calculus courses. After graduating, Allison moved back home to Seattle to pursue her master’s degree in teaching from UW. She now works as a high school math teacher and will be teaching pre-calculus and AP Statistics this year. Allison loves rock climbing, hiking, and paddle boarding, and was a camp counselor for several outdoor camps in her high school years!

Vanessa is an award-winning fiction author and fan of word puzzles. She received a BA in English and creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University and an MFA in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University. Her love of English drew her to tutor Shakespeare in high school where she realized she loved engaging others in the material; she has been tutoring and teaching ever since. She is excited to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for literary studies to AoPS. In her free time, she is usually in the kitchen trying her hand at a new challenging recipe or planning her next family vacation adventure.

Youkow graduated with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Yale and a master's degree in Computational and Mathematical Engineering from Stanford. He loved participating in math competitions growing up, and was a representative of Indiana’s national MATHCOUNTS team, a USAJMO winner, and Math Olympiad Summer Program participant. Since then, he has enjoyed teaching math and has worked as a math instructor at math camps, high schools, and as a teaching assistant in grad school. Youkow currently uses the problem solving skills he learned in his youth as a data scientist developing AI and NLP models for Microsoft. Outside of work, he can typically be found tuning his golf swing at one of the many golf courses around the Pacific Northwest.

Zak graduated with his BS in physics from Northern Arizona University, minoring in both math and studio arts. Shortly afterward, he taught high school pre-calculus and privately tutored in both Arizona and Washington. He has also taught college level physics at Pacific Lutheran University and helped to roll out AoPS Bellevue's first physics curriculum. He has an extensive background in challenge course operation and facilitation and enjoys working outside with kids. He is equally at home swinging from ropes 50 feet in the air and helping students through difficult math problems. Zak believes that experiencing and overcoming the trials of solving novel problems while still in school is one of the cornerstones of a happy and fulfilling life. In his spare time he draws, paints, and is working on an animated short film.

Shreeyas' passion for math stemmed from his avid participation in both MATHCOUNTS and in various American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) starting in middle school. Since then, he has continued to study and teach math to students of all levels, ranging from elementary to college. He aspires to help students develop their confidence in the classroom by fostering an open-minded and collaborative atmosphere where all are able to learn and ask questions freely. In his free time, he loves to play basketball, practice fingerstyle guitar songs, and play chess.

Alex has been teaching and tutoring math since his college days at the University of Michigan. He loves seeing his student succeed and has taught at Seattle’s Northwest School as well as at local community colleges. Alex is currently a graduate student twice over: he's pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington, and an MBA in business administration from UCLA. Outside the classroom, he enjoys watching and playing sports, hiking, and exploring the beautiful Northwest. Alex’s favorite foods are sushi and Korean BBQ.

As a kid, Raif loved math, filling notepads with formula derivations. As an adult, Raif has spent ten years coaching elementary-school students for advanced math contests, including AMC 8 and MATHCOUNTS. He received his BS in physics at Caltech and his PhD in atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington, focusing on the physics and chemistry of cloud particles. As a software test engineer, he hunts for bugs in applications, operating systems, and websites. His passion is helping young children stretch their abilities, build self-confidence, and learn terrible math jokes. He has also been playing and coaching ultimate frisbee for 30 years. Nowadays, Raif is learning about gardening; he’s still trying to produce his first vegetable.

With over 10 years of experience tutoring, Andrew has developed an everlasting interest in exploring and teaching math. He previously acquired a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics at Caltech and now works in the Seattle area researching knot theory and supporting space technologies. He knows that with enough guidance and support, anyone can be a truly amazing mathematician! He believes in strong, diverse foundations and encourages solving problem from many directions. In his free time, Andrew enjoys tennis, ultimate frisbee, gardening, and finding new spots for foraging. He hopes to one day grow all the ingredients he needs to make an epic veggie pizza.

Language arts instructor Todd is a freelance writer and stay-at-home dad. He earned his MA in English from the University of Virginia and his BA from Whitman College, and has worked as a travel magazine editor. Todd’s stories have received first-place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and The Writer magazine. He first found his love of teaching when he worked as a writing tutor at Whitman. These days, Todd is excited to work with AoPS Academy students on all aspects of their writing and storytelling. Outside the classroom, Todd loves taking photographs and writing and performing music for his baritone ukulele.

Cameron graduated with her BS in mathematics and BA in economics from Pacific Lutheran University in 2019. In 2021, she earned her MA in mathematics from the University of Montana. While in school, Cameron spent time private tutoring and playing interactive mathematical games with young students. Cameron seeks to help students develop confidence and a growth mindset in their mathematical abilities. Her favorite part about working with students is their excitement, honesty, and ability to create fun—Cameron always learns from her students. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Cameron developed a love for outdoor recreation and enjoys snowboarding, water skiing, hiking, and soaking up the sun. Cameron dearly loves her friends and family and hopes to adopt a dog in the future.

Ana's love for math started from a young age when her grandfather took the time to teach her about fractions. From then it has only grown, especially while she was getting a degree in Meteorology, where using math was a daily occurrence. After some years, Ana went back to school to pursue math education, where she was invited by teachers to become a supplemental instructor for pre-calculus. Math education is Ana's passion as she intends to teach children to be as passionate about math as she is.

Robert joined AoPS in 2019 as a language arts instructor. His PhDs in history and American studies are from Indiana University. Robert has derived untold joy and satisfaction from his work as a college professor, author, and schoolteacher. Bright students, he finds, are his greatest teachers. One of his goals in the classroom is to cultivate multiple perspectives within each student—to enable them to see through eyes different from their own. Robert’s published work examines citizens’ cultural identities, social status, and beliefs about the proper structure and scope of government. Thinking about such matters makes him very happy. So does spending time with his wife and eight-year-old son. And so does working with AoPS students.

Angel graduated with her master's in education from UoP in Stockton, CA and bachelor's in English Teaching from Washington State University. She has mentored and instructed students of all ages from various backgrounds and academic levels, including students affected by learning and socio-emotional disabilities, ELL, and gifted students in urban charter schools. She spent this past summer teaching English to first-generation high school students enrolled in the City of Seattle's Upward Bound College Preparation program. In her free time, she also runs her own clothing business! Angel is passionate about Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, College and Career Preparation, and overall serving and educating the youth, as they are the seeds of our future!

Dr. Rundell teaches language arts at AoPS Academy Bellevue. She received her PhD in business management from Arizona State University, as well as an MBA and a BA in psychology from Western Washington University. In addition to her long corporate career, she has taught college business courses to young adults, ESL to older adults, and music to elementary and middle school students. Dr. Rundell is also a passionate musician who plays the violin in the Bellevue Philharmonic. She is excited to impart her passion for education to the students at AoPS Academy!

Dr. Rus has been teaching math for the past 17 years, and is so excited to be joining AoPS! She has a master's degree in abstract mathematics from the University of Washington, and is a National Board certified teacher for adult and young adolescents. She is originally from Romania, which is where she got into math and math contests. Her energy comes from her students, who inspire her every day to do better! Other than teaching and interacting with students, she enjoys learning new things. She is an advocate for social justice, and loves reading, trying new foods, skiing, animals, dancing, roller skating, badminton, and traveling. She has a teenage daughter that will start high school this year, who loves synchronized swimming. She is owned by a beautiful Siberian Forest cat named Starlight, which you might sometimes see in her sessions popping in unexpectedly.

Mariahn holds a BA in liberal arts focusing on indigenous education as well as an MA in education from Antioch University. She has more than a decade's worth of experience teaching reading and writing in both public and private school settings. Mariahn believes in using play to engage students in the creative process of learning and building their self-confidence. In addition, Mariahn is trained to work with students who have neuro-divergent diagnoses such as ADHD, Autism, and Dyslexia/Dysgraphia. In her free time, Mariahn enjoys historical cosplay and working on her novels.

Before joining AoPS in 2020, Tom spent two years as a visiting faculty member at Mount Holyoke College and two years as a faculty member at Edmonds College. Prior to teaching full time, he spent several years drinking lots of coffee while filling up notebooks with drawings of tangled strings, for which he was eventually given a PhD in math from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While at UMass, Tom also ran the undergraduate math seminar, served as an advisor for two REU’s, and was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award from the UMass Math Department. When he is not doing math, he can usually be found drinking coffee while doing something else. Just know that there is always coffee.

Doug’s interest in math and physics led him to graduate from UC Irvine with bachelor’s degree in physics. Encouraged by the developing fusion technology, Doug went to UC Davis and spent many happy lab hours integrating laser and plasma technology while earning a master’s degree in applied science. Shortly after graduate school, Doug was recruited to start a middle school program on Whidbey Island. For 20+ years, Doug inspired young people to discover their love of math and science. Now, Doug has brought his humor and enthusiasm for math to our AoPS Academy. In his spare time, Doug enjoys hiking in nature, running around the soccer pitch, and studying martial arts.

Dr. Heather Stark is an educator specializing in teaching communications, public speaking, writing, English, composition, and study skills, as well as specialized areas of study. She sees these subjects as the tools necessary to successfully convey the messages not only in the media, but between individuals and populations. They are the hammers and nails that allow us to build connections and grow ideas, and they are a vital part of the way students can develop their strengths and successes. Doing news for radio and publications requires a good grasp of writing, public speaking, vocabulary, and language arts in general. Communicating well requires all the skills we sometimes take for granted, but her years of broadcast and print experience for Seattle radio stations, drove home the necessity for respecting language arts conventions in order to ensure a clear and understandable message. When not reporting or broadcasting, Heather works with domestic violence issues, travels, spends time with her children and grandchild, photographs everything, and writes books.

Walter graduated with a PhD in electrical engineering from MIT with a minor in mathematics. He has taught numerous college classes, including calculus at Georgia Tech and the University of Minnesota, probability at MIT, and machine learning, image processing, DSP, digital logic, and signals/systems at Seattle University. Walter coached secondary school math teams for Math Is Cool championships and masters, WA State Math Olympiad, Math Kangaroo, MATHCOUNTS, & AMC8/10. He’s written questions/exams for high school state math tournaments and Mu Alpha Theta national contests. Walter enjoyed math competitions growing up, qualifying for the national MATHCOUNTS competition, AIME, USAMO, & ARML US/Soviet exchange, placing 2nd at Mu Alpha Theta nationals, scoring in the top 3 for his college's Putnam exam all four years, and winning the math gold medal at the national Academic Decathlon competition.

Himanee has been a passionate and an avid student of mathematics. She holds a BS in mathematics as well as a bachelor’s degree in education from reputed universities of India. She has been teaching mathematics and science for more than 15 years as a full time teacher both in India and the United States. She loves spending time with children of all age groups when it comes to learning and teaching math. She loves to help build the growth mindset and problem-solving attitude in all of her students. She is an avid reader who loves non-fiction and literature. When outdoors, she loves tracking and light nature walks. She’s also an excellent cook and loves to learn and experiment with Asian and continental food.

Harika's love for math started at a young age when she was introduced to logic problems, sudoku and fun math puzzles by her family and teachers. In high school, she participated in competition math and then went on to pursue math in college. She received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University. In college, she was a teaching assistant and has been involved in tutoring since she was in high school. In addition to teaching at AoPS Academy, Harika is currently a Software Engineer at Microsoft. Harika has a love for teaching and believes that the role of a teacher is to inspire students to find joy in learning. In her free time, she loves cooking and baking and spending time outdoors!

Aihoon has taught writing, media, and communication-related subjects at the National University of Singapore and the Singapore University of Social Sciences for more than 10 years. A native of Singapore, Aihoon has traveled extensively as a television documentary producer and trainer and has lived in the Philippines and Myanmar before moving to the Seattle area. She loves to connect with people from different cultures because she believes there is so much we can learn from each other. A firm believer that learning should be fun and relevant, Aihoon brings her global perspective into the classroom. As a foodie, she gets rid of those calories by swimming several times a week.

Saba got her bachelor's degree in mathematics from Sharif University in Tehran, Iran. She started teaching a math club when she was 19, and immediately fell in love with teaching. During her undergraduate degree, she created a mini start-up with friends to introduce high school students in public schools to more sophisticated mathematical concepts and to teach them how to have fun with math. She moved to the US to get a master's degree in education and has worked for several charter schools in New York City as an academic data analyst and teacher. She has taught Foundations of Algebra, Algebra II, Pre Calculus, AP Calc BC, and AP CS Principles at Achievement First University Prep High School. She loves to read and go on long walks with an audiobook.