Dr. Leo de Wit

At UCR I teach Mathematics-related courses. My own background is in Theoretical Physics and Quantum Mechanics. I earned my Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in the U.S., where I worked in an international and broad academic community of world-class researchers. Over the years, I found that I most enjoy the combination of learning new things and sharing my enthusiasm about the clever and beautiful constructs we use to make sense of the world. So teaching is the perfect job for me. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing students get excited about the things that fascinate me, seeing them grow into independent and original thinkers, or visiting former UCR students doing their own Ph.D. research, for instance, at CERN in Geneva.

I have been at UCR since its inception in 2004. In addition to teaching, I have over the years fulfilled multiple roles, including Head of the Science department, Director of Education, member of the Admissions Board and chair of the Board of Examiners. I have worked with colleagues from Utrecht University on teaching innovations, educational leadership and quality control management. I am very happy to work for a university that highly values the quality of teaching, and to work with students who are so curious and dedicated.