Mathematics

Carl Atwell

About Me:  I am from De Pere Wisconsin. That’s just south of Green Bay, so I am born and raised a Packer fan. Snowboarding, kayaking, and mountain biking are my favorite hobbies, but you can’t go wrong with hanging out with friends. My go to way to destress after a long day of school is running or working out. 

Study Tip: Remove distractions by finding a quiet spot. Then start with what you know and build from that foundation. If you’re studying for an exam, begin studying immediately. Ask questions and periodically explain concepts (aloud or on paper) to gauge how well you know something.   

Hunter Bay

About me: I am currently a senior from the small town of Glidden, WI (southeast of Superior).  When I finish undergrad, I hope to get into medical school.  I love to watch/play baseball whenever I can, and I travel home to play on my town’s team in the summer.  My current hobby consists of trying to learn how to knit, and I must say, it is not going well.         

Study Tips: Finding peers in your class to study with really helps.  Not only can they offer different perspectives, but sometimes they can be the motivator to get you to study.  It is much harder to turn down study sessions when other people expect you to show up! 

Deanna Bayerl

About Me:  I am from Onalaska, WI and I am hoping to one day teach high school math. I am in the Screaming Eagles Marching Band Color Guard and play various instruments. When I am not working, I spend my time studying, hanging out with my friends and boyfriend, and watching Netflix.  

Study Tips: Try to predict what your professor will put on the test and then make a sort of practice exam to see if you know how to complete all the problems. This way you will see what you can do and what kind of problems you still need to work on. Do not be afraid to ask for help! 

Kirk Dahlke

About Me: I am still exploring my interests around campus. I am from De Pere, WI which is just outside of Green Bay. I have found a lot of fun times in the mathematics and statistics department on campus and chose to pursue statistics. My hobbies are numerous as I love trying new things. The current hobbies I have been having fun with are gymnastics, running, watching and playing sports, solving puzzles, and gaming.

Study Tips: Before we get to studying, my tip is show up to class, don’t skip unless you have to and studying will be a lot easier. My tip for actually studying is to find a place that makes you feel awkward if you are not studying. For me that place is the library because I feel weird if I play on my phone or procrastinate while in there.

Megan Dehn

About me: I am from Brookfield, WI. I am a huge Wisconsin sports fan. The Packers, the Brewers and the Bucks are my favorite teams. In my free time I play basketball and volleyball with friends, and I really enjoy reading books about the social sciences.

Study Tip: Try to space out your study time. This allows you to retain more information, and then you don’t have to do it all at once.

Kean Fallon

About Me I was born in Rochester, Minnesota and graduated from Rushford, a small town 30 minutes west of here. I lived in an even smaller town of 169 people then but also spent half my childhood up north in the center of Duluth, so I have seen both sides of the coin. I am a non-traditional student at 27 years old (turning 28 too soon) and my first foray into college saw me as a Music Theory major. Despite living in almost twenty different cities since I was born (a product of single parents and a military family), I have settled in to La Crosse for the last five years and resumed school. When I am not in school, I act as the kitchen manager to the local restaurant Buzzard Billys. I love listening to new music or new bands, inspired cooking, traveling when I can afford to, eating out, seeing the night life, talking football, playing musical instruments (guitar, bass, etc.), and of course delving into all of the math I can get my hands on. I am always eager to see students in the Murphy Learning Center, because every student ends up giving something back to me as a tutor.

Study Tip Be honest with yourself and know your habits. You can learn all of the best study habits in the world and how to implement them, but if you section off your study time during Saturday night when you know you want to be elsewhere with your friends, you won’t be successful. We all have hobbies and social lives, and we need to have them to maintain who we are. So schedule appropriately, otherwise you will be distracted, unproductive, or even completely absent from your study time.

Alexandra Galbraith

About Me: After graduation I hope to attend grad school to study the neuroscience. I am currently doing toxicology research on snails with Dr. Carmosini and Dr. Sandland. In my free time I like to read, socialize with friends, and listen to live music. I’m a La Crosse native, so if you’re looking for things to do or looking for a good place to eat, hit me up!

Study Tips: Improving the way you manage your time is one of the easiest ways to enhance your performance in school. Don’t wait until the last minute to get things done. Review notes that you took in class as soon as possible, and ask the professor or other classmates questions about concepts or problems that you don’t understand. Get little assignments done early to get them out of the way so you can spend more time studying before crunch time hits.

Trevor Geerdts

About Me: I’m from the very small town (397 people) of Fairwater, WI. At school I like to hang out with friends, read, and watch YouTube in my free time. At home, I like to spend time with my 2 dogs. One of them is big enough to touch my shoulders when he’s on his hind legs, and I’m 6’4”. I am a self-described dad-joke-connoisseur, and I also really enjoy learning about almost any subject- it’s why I came to college!

Study Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class, even “dumb” ones. They might seem easy to answer after you hear the answer, but that’s the point. Asking questions, even if I feel dumb after asking, almost always helps me understand the subject better. And if asking a question in-class is too intimidating, most professors are willing to talk a little after class and in office hours. Use office hours! Getting extra help from the person writing the exams is always a bonus.

Brent Greupink

About Me: My hobbies include reading, working out, or gaming with friends. I’m also into sports, and my roommate and I have a cat that I’m somewhat allergic to (I didn’t know beforehand). 

Study Tip: Use class notes and textbooks as a resource. Everything you need to know is written in an accessible place, so utilize it. When I have a question, the first place I look for an answer is right in my textbook. 

Nicole Gribble

About me: I am a sophomore and from Oneida, Wisconsin. In my free time I love volunteering special education classrooms as well as working out, dancing, biking and spending time with friends. This is my first semester as a tutor here at UWL and I plan to continue with it.  

Study Tip: Frustration is part of the learning process, so if something doesn’t make sense right away it’s okay. Take some time to relax, work on other problems, etc, and then go back to the problem troubling you and keep grinding it out until you get it. Just remember you are smart!  

Samuel Haeuser

About me: I am a 5th year senior from Holmen Wisconsin. I am in the physics program and focusing optical physics. I found my love for optics in understanding the way light can interact with matter. I am planning on attending graduate school for theoretical physics. I have done research with Dr. Gansen and I am currently doing research with Dr. Ragan. I enjoy coffee, vintage motorcycles, archeology, photography, and teaching.  

Study Tip: Spend the time to work through the problems and don’t be afraid to ask questions! It’s okay if something doesn’t click right away. 

Colin Jackson

About Me: I’m from Madison, Wisconsin. My favorite thing to do in my free time is playing soccer, which I do for the UW- L club soccer team. Other than that, I enjoy hiking, running, or just hanging out with my friends.

Study Tip: Figure out what works best for you, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from your classmates, friends or professors. Also, find someone that you can study with and work with them.

Joe Miller

About me: I am a sophomore here, and I’m from Lake Elmo, Minnesota (just northeast of St. Paul). I love to be outside and experience nature, especially running, biking, hiking, hammocking, and rock climbing.  And of course, I love math and hope to attend graduate school after graduating here. If I’m not studying, I’ll probably be spending time with friends, watching Netflix, or playing Rocket League. 

Study Tip: I always challenge myself to understand why something happens not just memorizing it. This is especially useful when learning math. If you can understand why something you are taught works, you won't be just memorizing a formula; you will be able to recreate that formula because you understand why it is acceptable. In a way, it’s almost like you’re re-inventing it! 

John Oliver

About me: I am in my senior year here at La Crosse. Growing up and being raised in Milwaukee, I’ve been a huge Wisconsin sports fan for my whole life (Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Badgers). Outside of school and studying I love to spend time outside with my friends and family. While inside, I usually spend my time watching Netflix, reading, or just hanging out with my friends.  

Study Tip: Practice makes perfect, just like anything else in life. The more you practice and challenge yourself, the more you will begin to understand it and the easier it will get for you.  

Alyssa Oswald

About Me: I enjoy spending time outside, playing sports such as volleyball and gymnastics, watching sports (especially the Packers and Brewers), hanging out with friends, listening to music, and watching movies. In La Crosse, I love hiking the bluffs and going to the Pearl!

Study tip: Be organized! Start studying earlier to avoid cram studying and do assignments earlier rather than later to relieve stress and be on top of things.

Nathan Rodman

About me:  I’m originally from Wausau, WI. Most of my free time I spend drawing, working out, or hanging with my friends and girlfriend. I love math and the plan is to attend grad school in the future to become a professor.  

Study Tips: Don’t be afraid to go to your professor’s office hours they should be more than willing to help you out if you have questions. If you don’t want to go to your professor’s office hours, then I’d say form a study group with some classmates so you can help each other out when you have questions. 

Austin Stalsberg

About Me: I am a La Crosse native in my senior year here at UWL. Some of my hobbies include playing the piano or saxophone, reading, running, and basically doing anything outdoors. A fun fact about me is that I have worked on an organic dairy farm since high school, so if you have any burning questions about cows, come to tutoring!

Study Tips: My biggest piece of advice when you get stuck on homework or are confused about a topic is Google it. That doesn’t mean just look up the answer and copy it down, if you really want to understand it, look at the process, watch a video, try Googling it in a different way. If you have a question, someone on the internet probably has the exact same question, you just have to find where the answer is. Tutorial videos can also be a great way to see the content from a different perspective if a topic was confusing in class.

Megan Steffen

About me: I am a sophomore from Hartland, Wisconsin. However, I am a die-hard Chicago sports fan. I grew up loving the Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, and Bulls! I am on the Women’s Lacrosse team here at UWL and spend much of my free time practicing and training. However, I also like to spend time with my friends, watch Netflix, read, volunteer, and of course, do math! 

 
Study Tip: One of my favorite quotes by the coach of the Chicago Cubs, Joe Maddon, is “Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.” Most people don’t enjoy math, however, that shouldn’t make it a burden to do. Keep practicing and stay positive, and you’ll learn to love the things you hate. 

Laura Zinnel

About Me: I am a second-year student at UWL, and I am from Cashton, WI. After I graduate, I hope to attend graduate school to study neuroscience or neuropsychology. Outside of classes, I am doing mathematics research with anti-Schur numbers and psychological research on visual cognition. Also, I enjoy playing guitar, and I play clarinet in UWL’s Screaming Eagles Marching Band.  

Study Tip: Don’t just understand WHAT works to get the answer, understand WHY it works. This way you won’t be memorizing theorems; you will be learning concepts.  

Maura Andersen

About Me: I am from La Crosse, Wisconsin originally. During my free time I play on the women’s tennis team here at UWL and I play intramural soccer as well! After I graduate, I plan to pursue actuarial science or data analytics.

Study Tips: A huge thing for me is minimizing distractions. Put your phone away, close unnecessary tabs, and avoid distracting background noise.

Kirk Dahlke

About Me: I am still exploring my interests around campus. I am from De Pere, WI which is just outside of Green Bay. I have found a lot of fun times in the mathematics and statistics department on campus and chose to pursue statistics. My hobbies are numerous as I love trying new things. The current hobbies I have been having fun with are gymnastics, running, watching and playing sports, solving puzzles, and gaming. 

Study Tips: Before we get to studying, my tip is show up to class, don’t skip unless you have to and studying will be a lot easier. My tip for actually studying is to find a place that makes you feel awkward if you are not studying. For me that place is the library because I feel weird if I play on my phone or procrastinate while in there. 

Laura Peterman

About me: I graduated in May with a B.S. in Biology. After minoring in statistics, I decided to pursue a master’s in Applied Statistics. I enjoy statistically analyzing biological data and decided I still had more that I wanted to learn. I like to see plays, hike the bluffs, and go on walks in the marsh. 

Study Tip: Make study sheets with all the important information in the chapter to help summarize and digest the material. 

Brad Rechtzigel

About me:  I plan to pursue a master's degree at UWL when I finish my undergraduate degree. I am very active and love playing sports, mostly soccer and basketball. I like spending as many weekends as I can in the summer on the water. 

Study Tip:  Study in chunks and more than just a couple nights before the test. 

Abby Runge

About Me: I am a Junior here at UWL studying statistics and I hope to pursue my master’s degree once I finish undergrad. In the summer I love to camp and visit national parks. I have two dogs at home, and one fish here with me at school.  

Study Tip: Use practice problems from the book to write self-quizzes as you study! This will both help you get prepared to do problems without looking at your notes, and it will help to highlight what you do and do not have a grasp on so you can prioritize your studying. 

Kelli Walter

About Me: I am from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. I love baseball and the Milwaukee Brewers, so in my free time you can find me watching a game. I also love spending time with family and friends, and reading whenever I get the chance. I don't have a ton of free time though because I am also an RA on campus, but I love it!

Study tip: My advice is to not be afraid to ask questions. Office hours are there to help you, and it will make a huge difference if you go in and get help!