Professor of Mathematics Thomas Banchoff wields an impressive collection of multi-colored chalk, drawing frantic, sweeping curves on two blackboards - one a standard flat board, the other an unorthodox sphere. After illustrating a theorem, Banchoff turns to his projection screen, where he has put up a computer visualization of a sphere.
In the next 80 minutes, Banchoff will intersperse his differential geometry lecture with football analogies and Tom Lehrer references.
It is for these innovative techniques that Banchoff, along with Professor of Classics Kurt Raaflaub, was named a Royce Fellows Teacher of Excellence in October.
The Royce Fellows program rewards faculty for introducing thoughtful and innovative techniques into the classroom.
The Royce Teaching Fellowship - established by a $5.5 million gift from Charles Royce '61 - provides a $20,000 supplement to the professor's income and access to another $20,000 fund which can be used to "develop teaching aids and support scholarly activities," according to the University Web site.
Royce fellows serve three-year terms. Previous recipients of the award are Professor of Africana Studies Barrymore Bogues, Dean of the Graduate School Sheila Bonde and Professor of Geological Sciences Karen Fischer.
Thomas Banchoff
The Brown that Banchoff encountered when he began teaching at the University in 1967 was a small, sleepy school, the type of institution that people went to if they did not get in to Harvard or Yale. Many of his colleagues warned him that Brown "wouldn't be too exciting," he said.
But with the adoption of the New Curriculum in 1969, which eliminated the previous system of distribution requirements, Brown became one of the "most exciting places in the country," he said. According to Banchoff, Brown began attracting more adventurous students, who saw it as a great place to learn.
Banchoff immediately took advantage of the freedom that the New Curriculum allowed to offer courses in new areas. One of the most popular of Banchoff's seminars over the years has been his course on the fourth dimension. Banchoff has also taught interdisciplinary courses relating literature, philosophy and biology to math.
Banchoff said he became one of the first math professors to involve students in his research. Students were an essential part of his attempt to integrate technology into the classroom. In the late 1960s Banchoff was a pioneer in creating computer visualizations of geometric shapes. Many of the students who worked with Banchoff went on to work for computer graphic companies such as Pixar and Industrial Light and Magic.
In the early '90s, Banchoff was at the forefront of using the Internet in his classes. Again students were an integral part of this process. The technology that they created enables students to submit their homework online and to have their work posted on the Internet. This innovation allows students to compare their work with that of other students in the class. Banchoff also uses the technology to offer individual comments to students.
Banchoff's innovative ap-proaches and personal attention make him popular among students. Many students find that turning in their homework online is helpful. "You know what you have trouble with, you know what you did, and you have access to everyone else's answers," said Alex Rosenthal '08, a student in MA 54: "Honors Linear Algebra."
Banchoff's classes require a lot of work, students said, especially during midterms. Students said that they spend upwards of 20 hours working on the take-home midterm and that during that week "it basically takes over your entire life."
But students are also eager to take classes with Banchoff because of his reputation and his enthusiasm for the topic. "He's been here since 1967, my dad had a class with him - he's the best math professor around," said Jacob Johnson '08, who is in MA 106: "Differential Geometry."
Kurt Raaflaub
Raaflaub, who is from Switzerland, arrived at Brown in 1978 after spending his early career teaching high school classics.
"If you teach high school students, you have to be very precise and clear in your teaching. ... You also need to make them enthusiastic about the subject matter," Raaflaub said. He went on to the University of Berlin, then moved to the United States for a fellowship at the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C.
After completing his fellowship, Raaflaub joined the Department of Classics. Accord-ing to Raaflaub, who is on a research sabbatical this semester, he spends more time working on his teaching now than when he first arrived. "You see and understand better what students need and where their shortcomings are," he said.
Drawing from his experiences teaching at high school, Raaflaub tries to help his students by presenting the material in a clear and coherent fashion. Raaflaub said he also tries to make his material relevant to contemporary issues. For example, in CL 131: "Roman History I," Raaflaub connects the trials and tribulations of the Roman Senate with modern-day political scandals.
Students said they appreciate Raaflaub's commitment to making the material relevant. Brietta Tsang '08 took CL 131 in Fall 2004. According to Tsang, although the class filled Barus and Holley 168 - a room that seats over 100 people - Raaflaub still tried to make the class interactive by encouraging discussion.
Raaflaub also works closely with students as an adviser. He was Tsang's first-year adviser last year. He worked closely with his students, guiding them through the process of picking classes, she said. According to Tsang, Raaflaub was an excellent adviser because he helps his students understand their interests. He also researched classes for his advisees, sending them suggestions for classes that he thought they might be interested in.
Raaflaub was instrumental in Tsang's choice to concentrate in international relations and East Asian studies, she said. Raaflaub is also her adviser this year - "he was the only one I would want to talk to about classes," Tsang said.
