Fun Facts

I go by the name of Vern
I love to study and learn
On my off time
I like to rock climb
With dreams to work at the CERN (a multinational research laboratory)

Beyond writing silly rhymes, I love to rock climb (I'm a nationally ranked collegiate climber!), enjoy Broadway musicals (sixteen and counting!), and run urban races with my team (#1 in NY 2013 and #2 in NY 2014)!

About Me

Vernon Wong is a PhD student at maryland/columbia">columbia">maryland/columbia">columbia-university">maryland/columbia">columbia">maryland/columbia">Columbia University in the Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics department. Originally from the Bay Area/Silicon Valley region in California, Vernon moved to New York after completing his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering with highest honors. Vernon's past research in renewable energy has been published in several peer-reviewed scholarly journals. His current research lies in fundamental phase transformations in silicon films used for next-generation display technologies.

Since 2009, Vernon has consistently held a teaching position where he taught on a variety of courses such as linear algebra, engineering ethics, and nanotechnology. Throughout this time, he has gained much professional and personal experience in communicating and explaining challenging topics to students of all backgrounds and levels. Vernon has lectured in different environments (e.g. large lecture hall-style, one-on-one, small group settings facilitating peer-to-peer learning, etc.) and understands the benefits and disadvantages associated with each style of instruction.

Vernon's tutoring approach revolves around adaptability. Unsurprisingly, every student learns best in their own different way. Adapting a teaching methodology (visual, verbal, hands-on, repetition, etc.) to a student's unique needs maximizes their apprehension of the concept and appreciation for the studied material. Communication is a key factor in this approach, therefore it is important to build and foster a trusting and constructive learning environment between the student and tutor.