Angelo Segalla

Professor Emeritus

  • Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction: Mathematics, UCLA, 1973
  • M.A., Operations Research, University of Florida, 1970
  • M.A, Mathematics, UCLA, 1965
  • B.A., Mathematics, Kean University, 1960

Research Interests

  • Mathematics Education K-12
  • Computer Assisted Instruction
  • Curriculum Development

Contributions to CSULB

  • Founder of Math Day at the Beach, an annual mathematics contest for high-school students
  • Single Subject Advisor 2001-2020; Contributed to the training of over 400 high school mathematics teachers and as many elementary school teachers
  • Co-founder of Webwork, an online computer assisted program for mathematics homework
  • Member of the Executive Committee: 2010-2015

Publications

  • Hauk, Shandy and Segalla, Angelo. "WeBWorK, Part II: Perceptions and Success in College Algebra" California Math Project Journal. June 2011.
  • Segalla, A. "Who says you cannot teach an old dog new tricks?" Journal of the Central California Mathematics Project. 2010.
  • Segalla, A., Hauk, S. "WeBWorK, a web-based mathematics homework program whose time has come." Journal of the Central California Mathematics Project. 2010.
  • Segalla, A. and Kim-Park, Y. (In progress) "Counting on Bayes' Theorem." To be submitted to the Journal of Statistics Education in February, 2007.
  • Safer, Alan; Segalla, Angelo; and Watson, Saleem. "Adding something extra." To be published in 2006 in the Missouri Journal of Mathematical Sciences.
  • Segalla, Angelo and Safer, Alan. "Web-based mathematics homework: a case study using WeBWorK in college algebra classes." To be published in 2006 in the CSU Exchanges Journal.
  • Segalla, Angelo and Watson, Saleem. "The Flip-side of a Lagrange optimization problem." College Mathematics Journal. May 2005.
  • Safer, Alan; Farmer, Lesley; Elhoubi, Ashraf; and Segalla, Angelo. "Does the distance from the from the teacher influence students' evaluations?" Educational Research Quarterly, Volume 28. March 2005.
  • Hauk, Shandy and Segalla, Angelo. "Student perceptions of the web-based homework program WeBWorK in moderate enrollment college algebra courses." Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science. 2005.
  • Segalla, Angelo; Sramek, Hilda; and Krause, Marina. "Service Experience for Re italizing Education (SERVE): Mathematics Training." Academic Exchange Quarterly. 2005.
  • Segalla, Angelo. "Proof Without Words." College Mathematics Journal. September 2004.
  • Hauk, S.; Powers, R.; Safer, A.; and Segalla, A. "Impact of the web-based homework program WeBWorK on student performance in moderate enrollment college algebra courses." Revised according to reviewers comments and resubmitted for publication to the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Personal History

Image
Pula, Croatia

I was born in Pola, Italy, now Pula, Croatia, in Istria (Now Istra). The change came as a result of a WWII pact between the Allies and Tito's Yugoslavia. The entire Istria peninsula south of Trieste to Pola was ceded to Tito of Yugoslavia after WWII.

After the Yugoslavia revolution part of the peninsula was awarded to Croatia and part to Slovenia.

Pola has a Roman coliseum we called the Arena. I was born in a house immediately to the left of the Arena.

As kids we used to play in the arena--including the catacombs (that was scary!). We played "gladiator games," tag, hide and go seek... the usual kids' games... oblivious, of course, to the historic significance of the edifice.

BTW: During WWII, folks used the catacombs as a bomb shelter knowing (hoping?) the Allies would not bomb a historic site. (Yes, Italy was on the wrong side thanks to dumbass Mussolini!)

Image
colisem in Pola (now Pula)

The arena/coliseum is now an outdoor movie theater and, of course, a historical site that has many, many tourists.

A New Country

As a result of being orphaned during WWII I was able to come to the United States to live with my aunt and uncle in Jersey City, New Jersey. Below is a photo of the youngsters who came to the US as orphans adopted by American families or relatives. I am the first kid on the left, kneeling in front. We arrived in NY, NY in the Fall of 1952.

(I often wonder to what became of these voyage friends!)

Image
orphans displaced by WWII

Our transport from Italy to Bremerhaven, Germany was by train, and from Bremerhaven to the NY harbor on the decommissioned battleship U.S.S. Taylor, pictured below.

Image
U.S.S. Taylor