Khalid Mouaouya, Associate Professor

Khalid Mouaouya is Vaughn College's ambassador of math.

An associate professor in the engineering and technology department, he spreads the good word of mathematics to students all across the campus. Potential engineers, pilots, even would-be air traffic controllers ... they all need a solid foundation in this most intimidating academic discipline.

"If you're intimidated by math, it could be from the people who taught it to you," Mouaouya says. "You have to have the right delivery system. If you do, you will be eager to learn more."

A native of Morocco who came to the United States from Belgium, Mouaouya is one of several faculty members to have earned a bachelor's degree from Vaughn College or one of its ancestors.

He has done graduate work at Manhattan College and Columbia University in engineering, but remains one of Vaughn College's most astute mathematics experts.

In fact, each semester his students get a good dose of math, which Mouaouya believes is at the heart of any engineering curriculum.

"Not everyone who walks the earth will be an engineer," he says. "But for those who want to be an engineer, mathematics is the key. It makes the topic you are studying so much easier."

Of course, that often means demystifying math to those who have been intimidated by numbers, equations and the like. Again, Mouaouya says it's all in how it's delivered.

"Mathematics is an art," Mouaouya says. "If you can present a math equation visually, that's how people can get drawn into it."

Mouaouya has no problem drawing students into his classes; he is one of the most popular engineering faculty members on campus. He relates to his students evenhandedly, balancing the needs of gifted students with those who might struggle more.

"You always have to be aware of what the students need," he says. "You treat everyone equally and if they need help, you help them."

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