PhD in theoretical and mathematical physics, olympiad winner

Vadim B.

I have PhD in mathematical and theoretical physics from Rutgers University. After finishing the graduate school in 1997 I worked at the Physics Department of the University of Mami as postdoctoral researcher. Later I spend many years in quantitative finance, working as quantitative researcher of equity forecasting and risk optimization.
Over the many years of quantitative career I was tutoring students with varied background - from midle school to graduate students. That provided a unique perspective on how to tune the teaching process and material to different level of students and their needs. While middle and high school students mostly need to be able to understand and use effectively school material to pass multiple choice exams, the undergraduate, and especially graduate level tutoring requires to teach students basics of research methodologies and how to break complex problems down to simpler parts.
Generally, I prefer to provide combine classroom style teaching combined with on-on-one followups for students that need more attention. That way I can make sure that no one is lagging in their progress. I encourage students to ask questions, no matter how naive they can seem to them. Being able to ask question, not afraid to ask, pinpoint what exactly do you not understand is maybe the best trait while studying. In the long run that contributes to whatever career the students will choose.