Statement of Purpose
The specific objectives and purposes of Zoom Education Foundation & Resources (ZEFR) and this board shall be to promote education in the fields of math, science, engineering and technology (STEM). ZEFR will raise funds to support enrichment opportunities that will focus on advancing student understanding of these core subjects and ways to apply them in the real-world. ZEFR shall provide educational services and programs to students from socially and economically disadvantaged communities and will support educational programs in the fields described above. ZEFR shall run a Teacher’s Institute for teachers to attend professional development sessions. The organization is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Dr. Kevin Wang, President
Dr. Kevin Wang holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Pennsylvania State University, and is a former faculty member in mathematics at UC Irvine and UCLA . Dr. Wang was a member of the very first Chinese IMO Team in 1985, and helped pioneer the rich history of the China National Team in the International Math Olympiad. He was also the winner of multiple national and international contests in math and science in China.
Dr. Wang has broad experiences in the industry, working at technology and media corporations such as Cisco, Oracle, and News Corp. Dr. Wang was invited to teach at the MOSP (Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program) which is an all-expense-paid program for the top 50 participants of the USAMO. (The 6 members of the IMO team for the USA are selected from MOSP participants.) He is an active member of the AMC advisory board, the AMC test problem review committee, and the USA(J)MO test paper grading team.
Dr. Wang insists that mathematics should be accessible and enjoyable to majority of people in our world. He is very passionate in finding ways to make math easy and approachable for children.
Dr. Mihaela Vajiac, Vice President
Dr. Vajiac is a math professor at Chapman University. She has a long history of participating in math contests in middle school and high school, and won various prizes at National Mathematics Contests and Olympiads in Romania. Dr. Vajiac holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Boston University, specializing in Differential Geometry, Algebraic Topology, Algebraic Geometry, Symplectic Geometry, Integrable Systems, and Geometric PDEs. She is very passionate about sharing her love and enthusiasm for mathematics with others.
Dr. Olga Korosteleva, Vice President
Dr. Korosteleva is a professor of Statistics at California State University, Long Beach. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Her research interests lie in statistical applications in the areas of Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Clinical Trials. She is the author of five books on Statistical Methodologies and Stochastic Processes.
For the past decade, Dr. Korosteleva has been actively involved in teaching extracurricular math clubs for elementary, middle, and high-school children, coaching for MathCounts, AMC 8, AMC 10, and AMC 12, and in the past three years served as the head coach of Southern California ARML team.
Dr. Korosteleva is very passionate about teaching, mentoring, coaching, advising, and supervising her students of all ages, from kindergarten to graduate school.
Kelly Ren, Treasurer
Ms. Ren holds a BS degree in Physics from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Her professional career began as a design engineer at IBM. Her visionary and leadership skills led her to positions in business and management in high-tech, software and financial services companies.
Ms. Ren discovered her passion for human development and education, after the birth of her daughter. She started a technology-based enrichment program Kiddie Techie, which rapidly grew to become a successful program in schools, school districts, and community enrichment programs in Southern California. Ms. Ren is also a co-founder of the renowned math enrichment program for gifted youth, Math Zoom Academy, which became part of Areteem Institute when the organization pursued accreditation through WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges). Ms. Ren is a big advocate for developing logical and analytical thinking and problem-solving skills using hands-on STEM projects.
John Lensmire, Secretary
John received his Master of Arts in Mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2015 and his B.A in Mathematics with high distinction and a Minor in Computer Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2010. He was involved as a teaching graduate assistant in mathematics at the universities he studied at and also taught students who participated in the Los Angeles Math Circle during his graduate studies at UCLA. In 2011, he participated in a Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science held in Dortmund, Germany. John also was in the 11th percentile in North America for the Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition. John is very enthusiastic about making STEM opportunities available to all children regardless of their location.