By Judah Breitbach
Innovative. Exciting. Barrier breaking. These are all things that new math professor Dr. Zac Rutledge loves about his job. Coming from two part-time gigs at Western Oregon University and Pirate’s NWAC sporting rival, Chemeteka Community College, Dr. Rutledge is no newcomer to the education game.
When a full time job was needed, the opening in Peninsula College’s math department immediately caught his eye, “I was looking for a full-time teaching job, I saw that Peninsula had an opening and I remember loving Port Angeles and it’s proximity to nature when I visited a few years ago”
The move to the peninsula was a natural one for Dr. Rutledge, with family in nearby Seattle, and scenic views from virtually anywhere on campus.
The choice to accept the job was made even more compelling after the interview process with Professor Anderson and Professor Motyka, among others.
According to Motyka, “Professor Rutledge is a great addition to the math department faculty and the campus community.”
“He is invested in the mission of community colleges and really thinks about the students and where they’re coming from. In the short time he’s been here, it is evident that he is thoughtful about his classes and that he is consistently working to make math less daunting while maintaining high standards.”
Dr. Rutledge is full of zeal to work with other faculty and the student body, “I’m excited by the teaching innovation at Peninsula College. The teachers here aren’t bound by traditional teaching methods; they’re willing to do what it takes to take the teaching of math to next level.”
To advance the standard, he says, “I’m really interested in connecting with students through multimedia. Math can be a barrier for a lot of students, but through exciting teaching solutions, both teachers and students can break through that barrier.”
Rutledge says, “I try to build my lessons around concrete, real-world situations; and then move to more abstract mathematics. I have also, when possible, tried to incorporate the interests of individual students into our mathematical explorations (e.g., through project-based work where students choose a topic of personal interest.) When I have been able to do such things, I have seen positive results by way of student achievement.”
Professor Rutledge teaches Math 099, Intermediate Algebra for Calculus; Math 106, Math for Elementary Teachers; and Math 146, Intro to Stats.