Mathematics

Over 15 years into the profession, I find myself more impassioned than ever as a math professor. Myself a former community college student, I grew inspired to become a math teacher and hope to likewise inspire my students in their own career choices. Effective teaching at a community college begins when an instructor believes in the community college system and the opportunities it can afford. As a grateful product of community college, I strive to exhibit my appreciation and teaching experience to the students placed in my classes. I intend to bring my experience, expertise in mathematics, and enthusiasm to each and every class with an unwavering commitment to the mission of Rio Hondo College.

Marissa Berru-licon joined Rio Hondo in the Math Department in the fall of 2018. At that time she brought 8 years of teaching experience at the high school level and has been teaching full time at Rio Hondo since then. It is her passion to support students and help them gain confidence in Mathematics. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.

Ryan joined the mathematics department at Rio Hondo College in 1999. He has been privileged to serve students by teaching them the beautiful truths found in the breadth of math courses that are offered. By participating on hiring committees and program reviews, and by serving as department secretary and facilitator, Academic Senator, Curriculum Committee Representative/Chair, and Outcomes Committee Representative, he has been honored to support the math department and the broader campus community. Besides his love of math, Ryan finds tremendous joy in his faith, friends, and family.

Professor English joined the Rio Hondo College, Department of Mathematics in 2001. He grew up in southern California and is a product of Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach. He enjoys reading, live music, Dodger baseball, and spending time with his family.

Hank joined RHC in 2001. He had worked in the computer industry for 5 years prior with Microsoft Certifications. He enjoys teaching mathematics and connecting concepts to his industry experience and sports experience. For leisure, he enjoys playing and watching sports and spending time with his boys.

Nancy Garcia graduated from California State University, Fullerton where she earned a bachelor's and master’s degree in mathematics. She began teaching in 2015. She is not only passionate about math but also loves dogs and café hopping in search of the best cup of coffee.

Professor González taught high school math in LAUSD for 10 years before joining Río Hondo College in 2008. She loves playing soccer and being mom to two young kids. She earned her degrees and teaching credential from UC Santa Cruz and Cal State LA. Currently, her teaching schedule consists of Statistics and Survey of Math for mostly non-STEM majors. She mentored new teachers in LAUSD and is happy to answer students’ questions about teaching paths in K-12 public schools.

Dr. Veronica Holbrook began her STEM career as an engineer for FedEx after graduating with her BS in Electronic Engineering. She transitioned into education as a technology teacher in K-12, then as a technology trainer for K-12 teachers. She attended Fullerton Community College and California State University, Fullerton to pursue a BA and MA in Mathematics. This is what brought her to her final career as a mathematics teacher at Rio Hondo. She received her Doctorate of Education in Community College Leadership at California State University, Fullerton in 2021. For fun, she enjoys traveling, East Coast swing dancing, and participating at a local community garden.

Jupei Hsiao loves puzzles. Whether it's helping students with math, helping students identify which counselor to visit, or helping students determine what college resources are available, she will figure it out. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, watching, smelling, and eating Taiwanese food.

Erin has a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Applied Mathematics and has been teaching at Rio since 2014. She has worked on projects in communications and optics, and has taught at CSU Fullerton, Biola University, and Rio Hondo. She loves math and helping others in the math they need to achieve their educational goals. She has a beautiful daughter and enjoys being a working mom.

Miguel is the first one in his family to graduate from a UC and attend graduate school. He began his academic journey at Orange Coast College and transferred to UCLA where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics. Go Bruins! After graduating, he worked as a math tutor for various centers before pursuing a master's degree. He continued his educational journey at CSU Fullerton where he earned a Master of Arts in Mathematics, Teaching Option. He acknowledges the pivotal role an instructor has in shaping and guiding students through their academic journey. He is passionate about working with students and enjoys providing resources and support to help them achieve their academic and personal goals.

Mr. Leang comes to Rio Hondo with over a decade of teaching experience in Mathematics. He started out as a tutor at UCLA, then became an engineer for the County of Los Angeles before transitioning into a full-time educator. He is passionate about education and enjoys helping students reach their fullest potential. In his free time, he enjoys learning how to make new recipes and trying foods from all different cultures (former Yelp Elite member). He also enjoys taking small trips and exploring the virtual landscape.

I've been working at RHC as a Mathematics Instructor since 1997, full-time since 1998. Since then, I've taught almost every math course we offer, as well as some we no longer offer. I've been teaching online since 2008.

I got my MS in Mathematics, at CSULB, in 1996. My comps were in Statistics and Topology.

I've been happily married for more than 28 years, and we have one adult son and one teenager son. My hobbies are cycling and home-roasting coffee. I am absolutely a bigtime coffee snob, and once in a while, I enjoy a good cigar.

Krysia Mayer joined Rio Hondo College in 2008 after 9 year of teaching High School mathematics at Cypress HS in Cypress, Ca. She is a graduate from CSUF with her BA, MA & single subject credential in Mathematics, specializing in education. She has taught a wide variety of courses through her 22 years of teaching, including Intermediate Algebra, Statistics, Precalculus, AP Calculus and Calculus I through Calculus III on campus. Personally, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 sons & 2 dogs in Cypress, CA. She especially loves watching her sons play baseball and soccer and helping with their teams.

I have been teaching mathematics here at Rio Hondo College since 2016. I have taught all levels of math and statistics here at Rio Hondo College. I earned my master's degree in Pure Mathematics from California State University, Long Beach in 2008. I was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan. I earned my bachelor’s degree in math education/Mathematics in Japan, and I taught math in Japan at the junior high and high school level for seven years.

You might be asking yourself why would anyone choose to major in math? I was not great at math, but I liked learning how to train my brain to think logically. I had to work hard at it. In my spare time I like to take walks with my husband and my sweet dog.

Prof Pitassi has been teaching math at Rio Hondo College for many years. He also taught middle school and high school. Prof Pitassi graduated from Long Beach State with a B.S. in Applied Math as well as a M.S. in Applied Statistics. He enjoys learning about finance, watching the Dodgers, and going on road trips with his wife and children.

I grew up in Scheidegg, a very small village in southern Germany. When I had an opportunity to study as a graduate student in the US for one year, I chose USC because it was far from Germany as I could get. Since I am still here, you can see that it has been a very long year. I paid for graduate school by being a teaching assistant, which covered tuition and living expenses. That's the way to get a graduate degree without debt. (If you want to hear more, just ask.) After six years, I earned my doctorate is in Applied Mathematics from USC. After some time at CSU Fullerton, I started teaching mathematics at Rio Hondo College. Currently, I oversee the MESA|TRIO program where I get to support STEM students achieve their dreams.