Walk into Dr. Geis’ classroom, and you’ll quickly learn two things: he is deeply passionate about mathematics, and he happens to have direct ties to the custom fire truck industry.
“My family builds and designs fire trucks,” said Geis, who joined the Upper School math department this fall. “So if you want to buy a fire truck,” Geis said, “I can put you in contact with people. … It keeps me grounded thinking about all the other niche companies that exist in the world.”
Though fire truck logistics keep him grounded, mathematics has always been Geis’ true calling.
A Lifelong “Math Nerd”
Originally from Oakdale, California, Geis describes his younger self as a dedicated “math nerd” who thrived in Academic Decathlon and Science Olympiad. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of California (UC), Santa Barbara, before moving across the country to complete a six-year Ph.D. program at The Ohio State University.
At UC Santa Barbara, Geis attended the College of Creative Studies, a unique, 400-student program embedded within the larger university that profoundly shaped his beliefs around education.
“The philosophy behind [it] is to always just embrace your own curiosity [and] your own learning over grades,” he explains. “Grades are important, but at the same time, they shouldn’t define us entirely. I’m of the opinion that if you take a really hard class and get a B in it, that’s okay. You pushed yourself [and] challenged yourself… we do the most growth when we’re really challenging ourselves.”
The Journey to Academy
Before joining Academy to teach Pre-Calculus and Honors Linear Algebra, Geis taught at Ohio Wesleyan for two years. “Teaching was always on my mind. …I always kind of set out to become a teacher,” he said. “I wanted to pursue a PhD out of my own curiosity, but my goal was to learn this deep research so that I [could] appreciate it and be able to teach it.”
Geis finds our 6-day rotation “very strange,” saying, “It’s weird to say ‘How was the weekend?’ on a Tuesday.” That said, he does appreciate how the schedule mirrors a college structure and gives students time away from a subject to reflect before revisiting it.
Beyond the Classroom
When he isn’t teaching or exploring complex math topics, Geis is an avid gamer and traveler. He has played the strategy card game Magic: The Gathering for 15 years, enjoys single-player puzzle video games, and loves traveling internationally with his wife. They have already explored Europe, India, and Japan, with plans for an upcoming trip to China.
Advice for Academy Students
As the world continues to shift how we approach problem-solving, Geis hopes to leave students with one central piece of wisdom: “Embrace skepticism.
“My advice would be to stay curious and always be skeptical of everything … always check your own claims on something,” Geis says. “In a math class, it’s kind of easy to just take my word as the truth, but always question why these things are true, and learn how to justify those in your own way. Don’t be afraid to ask someone, ‘Can you explain this to me?’ or ‘Why is this true?’ The “whys” are usually the more interesting and more important.
From custom fire trucks to honors linear algebra, Geis shows that keeping an open mind and asking ‘why’ can lead to a remarkable journey. Welcome to CA, Mr. Geis!
