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Learn AI From a Ph.D. Who Builds It: Python, ML, Math & Test Prep
Jeffrey P.

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5 hours tutoring

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About Jeffrey

Bio

Hello, my name is Jeff! I've been building software for 28+ years, and for most of the last decade that's meant machine learning — lately, systems that put large language models in front of real users, where a wrong answer doesn't cost 3 points on an exam: it costs real money and customer trust. I have a Ph.D. in computer science from UT Dallas, where my research was in machine learning, semantic computing and ontologies, and while I was finishing it I taught graduate courses there as an...

Hello, my name is Jeff! I've been building software for 28+ years, and for most of the last decade that's meant machine learning — lately, systems that put large language models in front of real users, where a wrong answer doesn't cost 3 points on an exam: it costs real money and customer trust. I have a Ph.D. in computer science from UT Dallas, where my research was in machine learning, semantic computing and ontologies, and while I was finishing it I taught graduate courses there as an adjunct. I've taught this material in a classroom and I've had to make it survive contact with production.

I tutor computer science from a first programming course through graduate machine learning — Python, data structures, algorithms, databases, SQL, data science and the agentic AI material that most curricula are still catching up to. I also tutor calculus, discrete math, statistics, linear algebra, algebra and geometry, along with SAT and GRE prep, technical writing, and introductory chemistry and physics.

My approach is diagnostic. Most students who are stuck aren't stuck where they think they are. Someone struggling with integration by parts is often struggling with algebra from three years ago, and someone whose code won't run usually has a wrong mental model of what the computer is doing rather than a typo. I spend the first part of a session finding the actual break.

I'd rather you be able to rebuild an idea from scratch than memorize the steps, because the steps stop working the moment a problem is phrased differently. That is ESPECIALLY true in the age of AI. That said, if you have an exam Thursday and need to get through it, tell me and we'll work that way.

I work with undergraduates, graduate students, career changers moving into AI work, engineers getting up to speed on LLMs, and high school students. I don't assume you know things you haven't told me you know, and I don't mind being asked the same question twice. If what you need might fall outside what I do, message me and I'll tell you straight.

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Education

B.S, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
Computer Science
The University of Texas at Dallas
PhD

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Approved Subjects

Algebra 1

Algebra 1

Algebra is the foundation of the machine learning work I’ve done for over a decade, from fitting regression lines to building the roughly 100 models I’ve developed as an AI/ML engineer, and I hold a PhD in Computer Science from UT Dallas. I can help with every core Algebra 1 topic: linear equations and inequalities, graphing lines and understanding slope, systems of equations, exponents, polynomials and factoring, quadratics, and functions. I focus on making each step make sense rather than memorizing procedures, connecting abstract ideas to real examples, like how a line’s slope describes a rate of change. Whether a student is catching up, keeping pace with their class, or preparing for the SAT, I’ll work at their speed and build confidence one concept at a time.
Algebra 2

Algebra 2

Much of Algebra 2 shows up directly in my work as an AI/ML engineer: logarithms and exponentials drive how models measure error and learn, and transforming functions is part of everyday data analysis. With a PhD in Computer Science from UT Dallas, I can teach the full course, including complex numbers, polynomial and rational functions, radicals, exponential and logarithmic equations, sequences and series, and transformations of functions. I focus on the patterns that connect these topics, so students see Algebra 2 as one coherent toolkit instead of a list of unrelated rules. Algebra 2 is also the gateway to precalculus and the SAT’s hardest math questions, and I help students build the foundation they’ll need for both.
Computer Programming

Computer Programming

I’ve been coding since I was 8 years old, and over a 27-year career I’ve written code professionally as a software engineer, web programmer, R&D team lead, data scientist, and AI engineer, mostly in Python and Java. Along the way I’ve built dozens of Django and Flask web applications, machine learning pipelines, and AI agents, plus multiple independent projects of my own. I’m comfortable starting from zero: writing a first program, understanding variables, loops, functions, and objects, and, most importantly, learning to debug calmly when something breaks. I also teach how to program effectively with modern AI coding tools like Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, including when to trust generated code and how to read, test, and fix it.
Computer Science

Computer Science

I hold a PhD in Computer Science from UT Dallas, where I also taught a graduate course on the Semantic Web as an adjunct, and I’ve spent 27 years working as a software and AI/ML engineer. I’ve programmed professionally in both Java and Python across multiple companies, and I can teach core topics including object-oriented programming, data structures and algorithms, databases and SQL, and software engineering practices like testing, Git, and debugging. My industry work spans dozens of Django and Flask web applications, production machine learning systems, and AI agents, so I can connect classroom concepts to how real software is built. Whether you’re in an intro programming course, working through a data structures and algorithms class, or preparing for technical interviews, I tailor each lesson to where you are and what you need.
Data Science

Data Science

I hold a PhD in Computer Science from UT Dallas and spent four years as a Principal Data Science Engineer at Xactly, where my sales forecasting model (96% accuracy across 20 customers) won “Best Predictive Analytics Solution” at the 2023 AI Breakthrough Awards. I’ve built around 100 machine learning models in Python, covering the full workflow: exploratory analysis and feature engineering with pandas and SQL, classification, regression, and forecasting with scikit-learn, XGBoost, and LightGBM, and model explainability with SHAP. My statistics work includes A/B testing with paired t-tests and power analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, and Bayesian hyperparameter optimization. Having taught graduate courses as an adjunct, I focus on building real intuition for why methods work, whether you need help with coursework, a capstone project, or data science interviews.
Data Structures

Data Structures

I earned an A in Data Structures as an undergraduate at TCNJ and an A in graduate Algorithms while completing my PhD in Computer Science at UT Dallas, and I’ve spent 27 years applying both in production Java and Python code. I can teach everything from the foundations, including arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, and binary search trees, to advanced structures like heaps, graphs, B-trees, red-black trees, and AVL trees. I focus on the reasoning behind each structure: how it works, its Big-O tradeoffs, and when to choose it over the alternatives, along with hands-on implementation in Java or Python. Having taught graduate courses as an adjunct, I can help with coursework, debugging assignments, and technical interview preparation, where data structures and algorithms questions are central.
Discrete Math

Discrete Math

I earned an A in Discrete Mathematics as an undergraduate at TCNJ and went on to a PhD in Computer Science at UT Dallas, where my research in ontologies and semantic computing relied heavily on formal logic, set theory, and graph structures. Over 27 years in industry, I’ve applied these ideas constantly, from relational algebra and SQL to algorithm design, probability, and Monte Carlo simulation. I can help with propositional and predicate logic, proof techniques including induction, sets and relations, functions, combinatorics, probability, graph theory, and recurrences. Having taught graduate courses as an adjunct, I focus on making proofs approachable by showing where each concept appears in real programming and computer science.
General Computer

General Computer

I’ve been using computers since I was 8 years old, hold a PhD in Computer Science, and have spent 27 years working in technology, from software engineering to AI. I can help with everyday computer skills on Mac and Windows, including organizing files and folders, email, web browsing, online accounts and passwords, common apps, and basic troubleshooting when something isn’t working. I can also help people get comfortable with newer tools like AI assistants, and stay safe online by recognizing scams and protecting their personal information. I explain things in plain English, at whatever pace works for you, and no question is too basic to ask.
Grammar

Grammar

I earned a perfect score on the GRE’s Analytical Writing section and have published 9 academic papers, where every sentence has to be precise. I can teach the full range of grammar, from parts of speech and subject-verb agreement to verb tenses, pronoun usage, modifiers, and punctuation, including the commas, semicolons, colons, and dashes that trip up even strong writers. Rather than just marking mistakes, I explain the rule behind each one, so students learn to catch and fix errors in their own writing. This is especially valuable for SAT and ACT preparation, where grammar questions are a major part of the test, as well as for essays, college applications, and professional writing.
Machine Learning/ AI

Machine Learning/ AI

As a Staff AI/ML Engineer with a PhD in Computer Science, I build production AI systems, including a text-to-SQL chatbot on fine-tuned GPT-4 and Llama 2 70B that reached 98.3% SQL accuracy, a RAG system with 92.3% question-answering accuracy, and a multi-agent data analysis system that became a startup’s flagship product. On the machine learning side, I’ve built around 100 models in Python with scikit-learn, XGBoost, LightGBM, and PyTorch, ranging from classification and forecasting to reinforcement learning experiments. I can teach the full modern AI stack: transformers and LLM fundamentals, prompt engineering, RAG, agents, fine-tuning, evaluation, and self-hosting open-weight models with vLLM and SGLang. Having taught graduate courses as an adjunct, I explain how these systems actually work, whether you’re taking an ML course, building your own AI project, or preparing for ML engineering interviews.
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

As a former Toastmasters club president, I won my club’s speech contest in 2023 and placed second at the Area level, and I’ve delivered hundreds of presentations over a 27-year career, from executive briefings and technical talks to graduate lectures as an adjunct at UT Dallas. I also hosted a 75-episode podcast, which sharpened my ability to speak clearly and naturally in real time. I specialize in helping people explain complex ideas to any audience, structure a talk so it’s easy to follow, and manage nerves through solid preparation rather than forced confidence. Whether you’re preparing for a class presentation, a job interview, a conference talk, or a wedding toast, I’ll give you specific, honest feedback and plenty of practice so you improve quickly.
Python

Python

I have written Python professionally for 12 years across five companies, building dozens of web applications with frameworks like Django and Flask, both on my own and as part of engineering teams. As a Staff AI/ML Engineer, I’ve used Python to build around 100 machine learning models, and I regularly work with generative AI coding tools, including on two question-answering chatbots I built. I earned my PhD at UT Dallas, where I also taught graduate courses as an adjunct, so I’m comfortable explaining concepts at any level, from first variables and loops to libraries like pandas and scikit-learn. I tailor each lesson to the student’s goals, whether that’s a class assignment, a personal project, or preparing for technical interviews.
Spelling

Spelling

Preparing for the GRE, I memorized more than 4,000 words, and the most valuable thing I learned was that English spelling is far more logical than it looks once you understand a word’s roots and origins. I teach the rules and patterns behind correct spelling, such as when to double a consonant, how silent e works, common prefixes and suffixes, and the Latin and Greek roots that explain why words are spelled the way they are. For the words that break the rules, I use memory techniques and focused practice that make them stick, rather than endless rote repetition. I work with students of all ages, from young learners building a foundation to spelling bee contestants and adults who want to write with confidence.
SQL

SQL

SQL has been part of every role in my 27-year career, across databases including PostgreSQL, DuckDB, and Databricks. I know it well enough to teach it to machines: I built a text-to-SQL chatbot at Xactly that generated SQL with 98.3% accuracy, and I designed a seven-layer validation system that checks AI-written queries before they ever touch a production database. I can help with everything from SELECT, WHERE, and GROUP BY to joins, subqueries, window functions, CTEs, query optimization, and database design. Students who learn from me get both the syntax and the habits that matter in real jobs, like reading a query plan, catching a bad join, and writing SQL other people can maintain.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

I prepared for the GRE by memorizing more than 4,000 vocabulary words, scored in the 95th percentile on the Verbal section, and earned a perfect 6.0 on Analytical Writing. Since then, I’ve put that vocabulary to work as a PhD in Computer Science, publishing 9 academic papers and writing and presenting technical material throughout a 27-year career. I teach vocabulary through roots, prefixes, and suffixes, so students can work out unfamiliar words on their own instead of relying only on memorization, along with memory techniques and practice using new words in real sentences. Whether you’re preparing for the SAT, GRE, or another standardized test, or simply want to read and write with more precision, I’ll build a study plan around the words that matter most for your goals.
Chemistry
SAT Math
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