Thomas J. Pfaff
Brief History & Bio.: I graduated from Ithaca College in 1990, with a B.S. in Exercise Science. After continuing my undergraduate education at SUNY Cortland, I completed a second B.S. in 1992, this time in Mathematics. In the Fall of 1992, I moved to Syracuse to pursue graduate work in Mathematics and completed an M.S. in mathematics, in 1994, at Syracuse University. Continuing at SU, I finished a Ph.D. in Mathematics in the area of probability and a second M.S. in applied statistics, in May of 1999. In August of 1999 we, which at the time included my wife Janice and our son Liam (born April 1998), moved to the Twin Ports (Duluth, MN and Superior, WI), and I started a postition as an assistant professor of mathematics at University of Wisconsin Superior . The following June (2000) our family expanded to include Pierce. After two fun years in the Twin Ports, our family moved "back east" to Ithaca, NY , where I am now an associate professor of mathematics at Ithaca College , returning me back to where I started. We added to our family again in March 2002, with the addition of Owen Robert Pfaff. Just as things were starting to settle down, our fourth child, Hugh was born in June 2004.

As an undergraduate at Ithaca College I was a three year varsity oarsmen and raced in eights and occasionally fours, during the semesters. In the summers, I've competed in singles, doubles, and quads. Since then I've done various activities to stay in shape. While in graduate school I picked up short track speed skating and then followed that up with inline skating. I also played a lot of squash and did some canoeing. During my two years in Wisconin, I did a lot of running and inline skating. While there, I ran a marathon, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth MN in June 2001 (3:34:58, 799 out of 4271 men, 932 out of 6699 overall), and skated an inline marathon (26 miles), Northshore Inline Marathon in Duluth MN in Sept 1999 (1:29:16). I've also competed in a canoe marathon (Witney Point Canoe Marathon, June 1998) and was on a top 5 team in the Winter Great Race in Auburn in Feb 1998. These days you will find me biking to work all year long, yes even in snow and rain, rowing in the summer, and in the winter running and occassinally training with the IC Men Crew. Other hobbies of mine include making homebrew beer, gardening, and making my own pizza. And, of course, most of my "spare" time is spent with my family (Janice, Liam, Pierce, Owen, & Hugh).

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

-- Lazarus Long, main character in Robert A. Heinlein's book Time Enough for Love

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Contact Information
Office: Williams 311A
e-mail: tpfaff (at) ithaca.edu
Phone: 607.274.7066
Mail: Department of Mathematics
Ithaca College
1212 Williams Hall
Ithaca, NY 14850-7284
Fax: 607.274.1588

Other Pages
For Students

Spring Schedule

Sustainability Page

Curriculum Vitae

The Mandatory Link Page

Pictures of Kids
Dec 2007
Dec 2006 ; Dec 2005
Dec 2004 pic I ; Dec 2004 pic II
Dec 2003 pic I ; Dec 2003 pic II
Dec 2002 ; Dec 2001

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Created by Thomas J. Pfaff and last updated on 1/2/06. Send questions or comments to tpfaff(at)ithaca.edu
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