Ranja Roy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Department: Mathematics
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Campus: Old Westbury

Member of NYIT Since: 2001

For Ranja Roy, mathematics never gets boring.

"I owe my interest to one of my middle school teachers who showed me how this logical subject unfolds into an interesting learning experience," Roy, a 2011 presidential technology award winner, says. "I encourage my students to take a closer look at what math they use in everyday life-including the use of digital devices, art, and music."

One of her latest initiatives is using interactive technology to engage students. This involves projecting traditional math tools, such as calculators, via a SMART Board.

"The use of Texas Instruments calculator screen projection software expands the role of the calculator in the learning process," Roy says. "This graphing calculator is primarily a personal handheld device, but the projection software allows the calculator demo to be displayed on a Board, enabling students to better understand its properties and functions."

Roy's research interests include algebraic and differential topology and geometric group theory. In fall 2009, she collaborated on researching the latter topic at the University of Seville in Spain.

She has applied her skills in other ways as well. She contributed statistical analysis to a recent study by NYIT's department of life sciences investigating the link between dietary intake and geographic distribution of liver and stomach cancer in Thailand. This research was published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer. She often demonstrates her work to non-mathematicians by showing its practical application in geometric designs by Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher.