Teachers We Don’t Forget

Recently, a peer posted on a private alumni Facebook group about the passing of a lecturer we had during university. When asked about this lecturer, I can confidently say that my peers and I would describe him as an absolutely fantastic teacher who was caring and inspiring. As a Mathematics major and Biology minor, I found his course, Differential Equations and Biomaths, invigorating and captivating.

I will remember drawing bifurcation diagrams, writing ODEs to model the interactions between predator-prey systems as well as having a distinct ‘aha’ moment when I realised that differential equations are used to model a bunch of cool and interesting things in Biology, among other Sciences. Dynamic biological systems such as the beating of a heart, the spread of a virus and enzymatic reactions can all be modelled using differential equations! Previously, I had the misconception that differential equations were, almost exclusively, applicable to physics, i.e. systems of motion, but now I see it lives and breathes through all the Sciences.

Above all in the course, I will remember the teacher. He helped my peers and I approach complex and challenging topics, whilst teaching with love for his field and demonstrating a genuine passion for education.

This post is dedicated to Leon Poladian. Thank you so much for your time, energy and efforts in the fields of Mathematics, Biology and Education. You are exceptional and you will be greatly missed.