Maciej Piwowarczyk
Doctoral Student in Mathematics @ UNL
Teaching
I have been continuously teaching at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since Fall 2021 in addition to teaching over the summer at MathPath, a summer math program for middle-school kids. In that time I have been Instructor of Record for 9 courses and a Graduate Teaching Assistant for 5 more. Topics I have taught include Graph Theory, Statistics & Probability, Voting Theory, and Cryptography.
MATH 106: Calculus I
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Instructor of Record
MATH 106-110 - Fall 2025
MATH 106-111 - Fall 2025 (Recitation Instructor)
The topics taught in MATH 106 include...
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Derivative rules (Product, Quotient, Chain, Power)
- Equating integrals with area
- U-Substitution
- Applied Optimization &
- Related Rates
MATH 107: Calculus II
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Recitation Instructor
MATH 107-254 - Spring 2022
MATH 107-355 - Spring 2022
MATH 107-151 - Fall 2021
MATH 107-154 - Fall 2021
The topics taught in MATH 107 include...
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Finding Antiderivatives
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Methods of Integration
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Density, Mass, and Center of Mass
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Sequences and Convergence
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Taylor Polynomials
MATH 203: Contemporary Mathematics
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Instructor of Record
MATH 203-004 - Spring 2024
MATH 203-001 - Fall 2023
MATH 203-007 - Spring 2023
MATH 203-002 - Fall 2022
The topics taught in MATH 203 include...
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Statistics & Probability
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Growth Modeling
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Graph Theory
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Voting Theory
MATH 301: Geometry Matters
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Instructor of Record
MATH 301-002 - Fall 2024
The topics taught in MATH 301 include...
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Points and Lines
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Classifying quadrilaterals
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Area Measurement and Accuracy
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Volume and Surface Area
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Symmetries and Transformations
MATH 407/807: Math for HS Teaching I
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Instructor of Record
MATH 407-101 - Spring 2025
The topics taught in MATH 407 include...
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Exponential and Logarithmic functions
- Function composition and inverses
- Modeling phenomena with functions
- Number systems and relations
MATH 803T: Comp. Thinking for Teachers
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Instructor of Record
MATH 803T-691 - Summer 2025
The topics taught in MATH 803T include...
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Exploring problem-solving in contexts such as finance, networks, algorithms, recurrences, tomography, and cryptography
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Probability, spatial reasoning, metrics, and algorithm efficiency/performance.
MATH 806T: Number Theory & Cryptology
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Instructor of Record
MATH 806T-691 - Summer 2024
The topics taught in MATH 806T include...
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Modular Arithmetic
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Fermat's Little Theorem
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Divisbility
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History of Ciphers
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RSA Cryptography
Upward Bound (Math Rotation)
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Instructor & Designer
Board Games & Math - Summer 2025
The topics taught in the UB Math Rotation include...
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Probability (Cacassone, Skyjo)
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Solvability (Nim, Tic-Tac-Toe)
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Logic Paths (Sudokus)
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Geometry (Set, Quads)
Intermediate Graph Theory/Graph Algorithms
MathPath (Want to know more?)
Instructor & Designer
IGT - July 2021 (Online)
IGT - July 2022
GA - July 2023
The topics taught in IGT/Graph Algorithms include...
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Planar Graphs
- Matchings in Graphs
- Max Flow/Min Cut Theorem
- Hamiltonian and Eulerian Paths/Circuits
- Shortest Path Algorithms
Coding
Python
Python is the language I am most comfortable with. It was the first language I learned in a formal setting and I have used it for various personal and professional projects. Highlights include:
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Platformer game using the Python PyGame package.
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Finding the weight distributions of finite geometry codes.
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Running graph algorithms to showcase different run times.
Perl
The math department at UNL makes use of WeBWorK for many of our homework needs. WeBWorK is coded in Perl, so when I was hired to design and code online exams for MATH 203, I had a lot to learn, but I've certainly come a long way! In the 2024-25 school year, I apprenticed as the UNL Math Department's WeBWork Wizard, assisting with course set-up and resolving issues throughout the semesters.
LaTeX
Look, I know that it's not necessarily a coding language, but using TikZ has at times felt more difficult than some of the projects noted above, so I'm keeping it in.
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Homework is done in TeX, but so are the exams I write for my students.
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All academic presentations on research are created using TeX. Check out my personal Beamer template!
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TikZ is a great way to produce the necessary diagrams for Graph Theory, though it was also a lot of fun using it to display finite automata, PDA's, and Turing Machines.
Cool Jobs I've Had
Star Wars Celebration Staff Member
Star Wars Celebration is a conference held by Lucasfild Ltd. as, well, a celebration of Star Wars and the incredible communities that have embraced these stories from a galaxy far, far away.
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In 2019, Celebration came to Chicago and I got the chance to work as a Staff Member! The droid parade rolled through my hallway and THE Anthony Daniels nodded at me as he walked past. Truly one of the coolest things I've been apart of, and something I would love to do again.
Great Plains Gaming Project Volunteer
GPGP is a Lincoln-based non-profit that hosts community events, game donations, and yearly festivals. I got to join them while they were preparing for their 2025 Great Plains Gaming Festival and it's been a blast working with them! The festival itself was an incredible amount of fun, both as a volunteer and a participant. The community was very kind and I can't wait for the next event!
MathPath Senior Staff Assistant
After four summers of being a counselor, I spent my fifth summer at MathPath in a parallel position: Senior Staff Assistant. Though this role was primarily meant to support the various directors of MathPath, I had a lot of freedom to work on my tasks and support the camp in whatever ways I could. This allowed me to take advantage of my four summers of being a counselor and support the counselors directly as well. This was strictly not a managerial role, but there were moments when part of my duties involved assigning tasks to counselors, such as when tackling the massive task of packing up after camp.
MathPath Counselor
For four incredible summers I got to work as a counselor at MathPath, a summer math enrichment camp for students aged 11-14. Two of these years were online, during which I had my own group of kids to check in with, build a group identity with, and support as they attended classes and plenaries. The other two summers, I was a floating counselor, which meant that I didn't have a fixed group, but rather I supported other counselors by taking care of their groups on days off or being on call to help with emergencies. During these four summers I also taught breakouts on Graph Theory and contributed several Problems of the Day!
