Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

Liz Rapp serves as a student volunteer in Dr. Sandefur's videos. (Photo: Roland Dimaya)

By LiAnna Davis

Mathematics is both a passion and a career path for senior Liz Rapp. A double honors major in Mathematics and Economics, Rapp will be moving to New York City after graduation in May to work on Morgan Stanley’s interest rate volatility options trading desk.

“The job is very mathematical and is inspiration for my research this year,” she says. Rapp is working on her honors thesis, on the mathematics of option pricing, with Dr. Der-Chen Chang; she has also worked extensively with Dr. Jim Sandefur, her advisor in the department.

“Dr. Sandefur was the first math professor I had at Georgetown,” she says. “From that first semester, Dr. Sandefur’s engaging teaching method impressed me. His classes contain a lot of student participation and interaction—from classmates teaching chapters in the text to online discussion boards to group projects. This type of learning is unusual in a math class and makes a stereotypically boring subject much more stimulating.”

Rapp appears in Dr. Sandefur’s videos demonstrating advanced students' problem-solving techniques, part of Dr. Sandefur’s dedication to math education research. While being taped, Rapp was encouraged to explain her thinking process aloud, which will help beginning mathematics students understand the problem solving skills necessary to tackle difficult problems. This unique trait in Dr. Sandefur’s courses is partially why Rapp found them to be stimulating; he was interested in whether and how students were learning the material.

“Dr. Sandefur’s desire for his students not only to completely understand the material but also to enjoy learning is what sets him apart from other professors,” she says. “In the beginning of the semester, he asks questions of his students to find out their interests and preferred learning styles. At several points during the semester he surveys students about how the class is going, and adapts the course accordingly. His responsiveness and enthusiasm makes learning the material an enjoyable experience.”

Rapp, who is originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has found success in Dr. Sandefur’s teaching; she has maintained a very high GPA while pursuing a double honors major. Learning is a passion for Rapp, and she enjoys pursuing the tangential elements in addition to the main question at hand. She has been a member of the Georgetown sailing team for four years and also enjoys running and yoga.

“I am looking forward to beginning my career in finance and hope to continue on a path in finance that relies heavily on mathematics,” she says.

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