NSC Math Faculty
Serge Ballif, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Phone: (702) 992-261
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Serge Ballif is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics in the Liberal Arts & Sciences at Nevada State College. He loves mathematics, and he is thrilled to be at an institution where teaching comes first.
Dr. Ballif is from Preston Idaho, the location of Napolean Dynamite. He grew up working on his grandfather's dairy farm where he earned his first thousand dollars working at a rate of one dollar an hour. These earnings were used to purchase his first violin, and that violin played a big role in meeting his wife, Jenny, so he's very glad he spent all those hours practicing. After his first semester of college he left the U.S. to spend two years in Germany as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He returned to Utah State University where he completed a B.S. in mathematics with an emphasis in actuarial science, and also married his sweetheart Jenny. They both completed Master's degrees at Utah State in 2007, and then moved to Pennsylvania where Serge earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the Pennsylvania State University in 2012. Along the way they had three great kids and Dr. Ballif worked a variety of jobs including farm labor, tutoring, irrigation equipment sales, and sorority house parent. Dr. Ballif's hobbies include chess, reading, church service, camping, and spending time with his family
Aaron Wong, Ph.D.
Chair, Physical and Life Sciences
Associate Professor of Mathematics Ph.D. University of California, San Diego
Phone: (702) 992-2639
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Aaron Wong serves as the Department Chair of the Physical and Life Sciences. He grew up in Livermore, CA, but moved south to begin his education. He earned a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, but did not learn how to surf. From Santa Barbara, Dr. Wong moved south again to U.C. San Diego, where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D in Mathematics. However, he still refused to learn how to surf. Instead of continuing his southbound trajectory into Mexico, he decided to head east to Henderson, where the chances of learning how to surf are quite low. Throughout his life, Dr. Wong has been involved in Christian spirituality, facilitating Bible studies as an undergraduate and serving on the leadership of his church. His other interests include music (guitar, bass, and piano), basketball, not surfing, puzzles, board games, and poker.
Brian Gleason, Ph.D.