Christopher Lee Phan, Ph.D.

Experience With

Codeberg, CSS, Git, GitHub, HTML, JavaScript, LaTeX, Linux, MacOS, Mathematica, Matplotlib, MS, NumPy, Office, OpenOffice, Pandas, Python, Rust, SageMath, SciPy, SQL, SVN, Unix, Vim, Windows.

Programming Experience

Leveraged skills in mathematics to teach myself how to be an effective and advanced coder in Python. Have expanded my repertoire of languages to include JavaScript, Rust, and SQL. Some projects are available on the following open-source software repository sites:

• Codeberg: https://codeberg.org/christopherphan
• GitHub: https://github.com/christopherphan

Previous Positions

• Mathematics Teacher, Cotter High School, Winona, Minnesota, Aug. 2024–May 2025
  • Taught AP Calculus in a private high school setting.
  • Used Desmos creatively to produce helpful visualizations, including 3D solids such as solids of revolution. Examples:
    • https://www.desmos.com/calculator/40awxdkfls
    • https://www.desmos.com/3d/npdbrgwbdd
    • https://www.desmos.com/3d/nbb2c8ysca
• Adjunct Instructor, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minnesota, Aug. 2024–May 2025
  • Taught introductory statistics.
  • Used Desire2Learn Brightspace and Zoom to provide quality instruction in a remote setting.
• Stay-at-home Parent, May 2018–Aug. 2024
  • Parented a toddler and a special-needs child at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Fixed-term Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota, Aug. 2012–May 2018
  • Instructor at Software Carpentry faculty workshop on Python, Pandas, and Git.
  • Taught undergraduate mathematics and statistics classes.
  • Authored problems for the WeBWorK computerized homework system.
  • Published research article in mathematics.
  • Created Python scripts to move data between Desire2Learn Brightspace and WeBWorK or WebAssign: https://github.com/christopherphan/brightspace-scripts
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Aug. 2010–May 2012
  • Taught undergraduate mathematics classes.
  • Published research articles in mathematics.
• Temporary Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, Sept. 2009–Aug. 2010
  • Taught undergraduate mathematics classes.
  • Published research articles in mathematics.
• Adjunct Instructor, Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Aug.–Sept. 2009 (one six-week term)
  • Taught developmental and general education mathematics classes in a vocational (culinary) college. Topics covered included unit conversion and recipe cost analysis.
• Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Mathematics, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, Sept. 2003–June 2009
  • Taught classes, typically as the instructor of record (responsible for writing exams, creating lessons, and assigning final grades).
  • Served as a member of final exam approval committee.
  • Served as coordinator for Ring Theory Seminar.

Volunteer Experience

• Certified Instructor, The Carpentries, Sept. 2025–present
  • Certified instructor with the Carpentries, an organization that researchers coding and data science skills.
• Member of the Board of Directors, Bluff Country Co-op., Winona, Minnesota, Jan. 2025–present
  • Served on the board of directors of a food retail co-operative. Duties of the board include providing oversight of store’s budget and operations, reviewing and approving reports from the store’s general manager.

Education

• Ph.D. in Mathematics, June 2009, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.
  • Dissertation: Koszul and Generalized Koszul Properties for Noncommutative Graded Algebras. Doctoral advisor: Prof. Brad Shelton
  • Jack and Peggy Borsting Award for Scholastic Achievement in Graduate Mathematics, 2008.
• M.S. in Mathematics, June 2005, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.
• B.A. in Mathematics and Communication, May 2003, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon.
  • Summa cum laude, department honors in communication, Phi Beta Kappa