Street: Being Dean, don't you find you don't have enough time to give to your students?
Dennis DeTurck: Sometimes. I have to say that the last two semesters, I've taught math majors and senior and engineers. The nerdy types. They were really good sports though. I would send mass emails saying, "I have office hours tomorrow at 6!" This semester I'm teaching freshmen big calculus; In a class of a hundred some odd students, it's harder now because there's got to be more structure.
Street: And more homework. How many cups of coffee do you think your students go through a week studying for your class?
DD: A lot. Learning math is like learning how to play tennis; it's a skill and you have to learn how to react and use your reflexes.
Street: All I remember is crying myself to sleep every night studying for my calculus test.
DD: I don't think it's been a successful semester unless I've made at least one person cry.
Street: Ouch. So on a scale of 1 to "I would marry one in Vegas," how much do you LOVE integrals.
DD: Well integrals are where it's at. They are definitely very hot. Marry one Vegas? hmm perhaps not that hot. Now if we are talking derivatives....
Street: Love 'em. Now that you are Dean, your name is Dean Dennis Deturck. How do you feel about the alliteration? Do you consider yourself a triple threat?
DD: Haha, yeah I'm D cubed. Well I think alliteration is cool and am absolutely a triple threat. You know, we had Collegepalooza out here this week and they played music. Talk about students being good sports. We had a string quartet from the music department and they let me sit in for a while so that was fun. I don't dance though.
Street: Not even a little bit of a waltz?
DD: I definitely don't waltz.
Street: Darn. So there have been lots of events these past few weeks. Spring Fling, Collegepalooza. Incidentally, how was your Spring Fling?
DD: My Spring Fling was great. I had a ringside seat to the concert and enjoyed the music. But I did not go to the quad.
Street: Oh you didn't? Did you go to a party Saturday night? Or maybe do a keg stand?
DD: Well I can't tell you that! I was a little drunk fling weekend but I wasn't here.
Street: Oh so nobody saw you stumbling around?
DD: Well, my wife will never tell.
Street: Ha! So I must ask, how do you think the College is better than Wharton?
DD: Oooo let me count the ways. Wharton couldn't be Wharton without the College. Wharton undergrads start taking their courses down here. They take econ, math, and writing in the College. We're the basis for everything. I mean, it's just cooler in the College.
Street: How so?
DD: Think of Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, Anthony Hopkins in Proof, and Samuel L. Jackson in Sphere (ok, so at least two of them were crazies).When was the last time they made a movie about an accountant? We were on the green last week and really celebrating the fact that we are so unbelievably diverse. We had chemists making ice cream versus blowing up buildings. We had people in bizarre costumes and I flunked a history quiz. It was great. Arts and sciences are the future and we are training people for tomorrow.
