Mathematics Department Head Dr. Chris Talone will begin teaching a research and statistics class in January for graduate students at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), in addition to the classes he is currently teaching at Marlborough. The class is designed for graduate students who are studying to become school guidance counselors. Talone says the course is necessary for the students in this graduate program because they will need to be able to understand the statistics within the studies they read.

Talone originally heard about the position from a former colleague whom he met during his time teaching at Marymount before coming to Marlborough 16 years ago. The colleague, who now works at LMU, recommended him for the position because she knew he taught statistics and was good with students who generally shy away from math.

“I’m very patient and I was not a math genius myself. I had to work very hard to understand math, so I feel like I can break it down in a way people can understand,”  Talone said.

Talone said he was interested in this position because he has taught at the high school level for 26 years, and found the idea of having a new experience appealing.

Talone also said that although he is excited about his new opportunity, he is also aware of the additional workload it brings. Although Talone will only teach this class for one night a week, he said he is worried about the time that he will need to spend lesson planning and grading.

Talone said he hopes to gain insight from this experience by learning about what students need after high school and in their careers, and added that this knowledge will help him make his Marlborough classes more interesting. Talone said he views this new course only as an addition to the classes he already teaches.

“I’m not leaving to do this,” Talone said, “Marlborough is my first priority and my first love.”