Rate My Professor Todd CadwalladerOlsker

Todd CadwalladerOlsker is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at California State University, Fullerton, specializing in mathematics education. He serves as Vice Chair of the department and as the Supplemental Instruction (SI) math faculty liaison. For over a decade, CadwalladerOlsker has led the development of the SI program in mathematics, handling recruitment and training of SI leaders, and teaching SI-supported courses such as calculus alongside graduate-level courses for future teachers. His dedication to student success is evidenced by consistently high Student Opinion Questionnaire ratings, with 90 percent falling in the highest two categories. He holds a Ph.D. and contributes to initiatives like Project PIPE-LINE, a collaboration between California State University campuses to advance data science education.

CadwalladerOlsker's research centers on undergraduate mathematics education, including students' conceptions of mathematical proof, validation of empirical versus deductive arguments, probability and p-values, counting problem strategies, Bayes's theorem, and the efficacy of supplemental instruction for transfer students in first-semester calculus. Key publications include "What Do We Mean by Mathematical Proof?" in the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics (2011); "The Effect of Supplemental Instruction on Transfer Student Success in First-Semester Calculus," co-authored with Martin Bonsangue and others, in Learning Assistance Review (2013); "Gender Differences in Mathematics and Science Achievement Across the Distribution: What International Variation Can Tell Us About the Role of Biology and Society" (2012); "The Labeling Strategy: Moving Beyond Order in Counting Problems" in PRIMUS (2013); "When 95% Accurate Isn't: Exploring Bayes's Theorem" in Mathematics Teacher (2011); "A Riddle: Probabilities and p-Values" (2019); and "Investigating undergraduate students’ view of and consistency in choosing empirical and deductive arguments" (2019). He has presented research at conferences such as the American Mathematical Society sectional meetings, Mathematical Association of America, and Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. In 2016-2017, he received the university's Faculty Recognition Program award for his SI leadership.