A Mathematician in Russia
Darren Mason Teaches and Learns in Volgograd
June 30, 2005

Like many of his colleagues, Albion College mathematics professor Darren Mason sees summer as a time to enjoy personal interests. Unlike many of his colleagues, however, Mason spends quite a bit of this time in Russia – and uses his professional training to get it. Mason has spent the past four summers teaching advanced mathematics and engineering courses at Volgograd State University, as an adjunct professor with a Michigan State University program.

“I come for many reasons,” says Mason, reflecting his definite liberal-arts enthusiasm for teaching an learning. Traveling between Volgograd, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, Mason enjoys visiting important sites in Russian Tsarist history and the U.S.S.R.’s World War II history. “The basement of a department store in Volgograd is at the exact location where the German Army surrendered to the Russians – there’s a fascinating museum there,” he notes. “I am also starting to read a book called “They Took My Father,” by Mayme Sevander and Laurie Hertzel, which covers the story of Finnish Americans from the upper Midwest who decide to emigrate to Stalinist Russia in the 1930s.”

Mason also notes that Russian history and culture of the past decade are no less fascinating. “Four years ago, there were very few places in Volgograd to dine or shop; now the streets flourish with cafes, restaurants, and shops. The market near the hotel, which used to have two aisles with a very limited selection of items, is now one part of a large mall complex. The supermarket is more like a Kroger’s with employees handing out free samples …. There is often live music, karaoke, and dancing in the shopping square.”

Mason concludes, “Lastly and perhaps most importantly, in visiting Russia I get a chance to maintain personal relationships with friends and colleagues that have developed over the past four years. One of my favorite parts of coming to Russia each year is the opportunity to spend time with friends and to experience the rich Russian hospitality. Indeed, some of the finest experiences in my life have been as a guest in a Russian home – sharing food, drink, and great stories on a warm summer evening.”