Professor Prince came to Hostos in 2008 by way of Bangladesh. His love of mathematics, something that was born from a childhood game, is something he works hard to pass on to his students.

When did you start teaching at Hostos and what brought you here and/or how did you learn about the college?
I started my career in Hostos as an assistant professor of mathematics in fall 2008. When I was a graduate students in Stony Brook University, I heard about Hostos from some of my friends. At that time I decided to apply here after I finished Ph.D. I also live nearby.

Where are you originally from?
Bangladesh. I came here at 1998, when I was in the 11th grade.

Why math? What got you started?
When I was learning about multiplication tables in the 1st and 2nd grades, my father gave me the following problem: Find a four-digit number, so that when you multiply by 4, the digit is reversed. I was trying to solve that problem for two days straight and finally got the answer: 2,178. At that age it was a big triumph for me, and it motivated me so much I started to love math games and puzzles. I eventually fell in love with mathematics. In a sense, I was addicted to it.

Math can be a challenging subject. What are the things that you stress with Hostos students? What do you find works well and/or how would you describe your teaching style?
Teaching mathematics is very challenging for me. When I want to teach a topic, I think the day before: “How do I want to present this to students? How do I want to explain its concepts? How can I relate this topics to real life problems?”
I put myself shoe in the students’ shoes and "think like a student.”

Have you published any of your work?
Yes, I have a lot of published works that have appeared in the International Journal of Data Envelopment Analysis, The American Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, The Mathematics Teachers’ Journal, Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State, The Hispanic Educational Technology Services (HETS) Online Journal, and the Far East Journal of Mathematical Education, just to name a few.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not teaching math?
Reading mathematics books (believe it or not). I also like to travel and cook.

Was there any other careers that interested you growing up?
A doctor. I wanted to help poor people especially in my country, but in the end, it was probably not for me.

What is your favorite movie or book?
Favorite book: "The Man Who Knew Infinity"

What is your favorite food?
Beef Byriani (it is an Indian -style food).

What is it that you feel makes Hostos so special and/or what advice do you have for students or perspective students?
When I first came to Hostos in 2008 and stepped into my department, I felt surrounded by friends. I heard the phrase "Hostos Familly," but I did not quite understand it in the beginning. Gradually, this became very clear—the help, guide and mentoring that I received from all of my colleagues and friends, both inside and outside my department, was beyond what I was expecting.

Hostos is my home, and Hostos is my family.