Teaching with Heart
Lecturer inspires mathematical minds nearly 60 years after his graduation from Rutgers–Camden
Paul Moré Jr. CCAS’65 teaches mathematics courses on the campus where he studied more than 60 years ago. Selected as one of two honorees this year for the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence for Lecturer Faculty, the Rutgers–Camden alumnus views his role as a privilege.
“At this stage of my life, I realize the gift I have for motivating, encouraging, and helping young people,” Moré said. “I feel really fortunate to be in an environment where I can use those gifts, and the best thing about the job is how appreciative the students are.”
Moré’s own journey began when he was a self-described independent spirit, the 11th of 13 children, many of his possessions hand-me-downs from older brothers. Money was tight. His gateway to higher education came in 1961, when he received an N.J. State Scholarship. At $1,600, it covered all four years of his Rutgers tuition.
Financial hardship prevented the aspiring engineer from living in New Brunswick, so he changed majors and schools, opting to study mathematics at Rutgers–Camden. Here, he thrived as a student-athlete on the men's basketball team and as president of the Lambda Sigma Chi fraternity.
Paul Moré Jr. as a member of the Rutgers–Camden men's varsity basketball team.
Paul Moré Jr. as a member of the Rutgers–Camden men's varsity basketball team.
Moré’s Rutgers–Camden degree would help propel a full-time career that included decades spent working for the United States Army and Navy as a civilian employee. While with the Army, he completed his lifelong goal of becoming an engineer, earning a master’s degree from Penn State University. In his time with the military, he tested pilot ejection systems on aircrafts and worked on glideslope indicators, which help planes land.
When Moré retired, he thought back to something his former colleagues had expressed: “People always told me I had a knack for explaining things clearly and could have been a teacher,” he said. Indeed, he had taught elementary math classes as a graduate assistant while studying for his master’s degree.
The stars aligned back at Moré’s alma mater, where he joined the Rutgers–Camden Department of Mathematics to teach calculus and precalculus courses, predominantly for business and economics majors.
Despite having taught for more than 20 years, Moré said his teaching approach has continuously evolved to reach the most students, especially those who find math courses difficult.
“Some students come in and can almost teach the class, while others struggle,” Moré said. “So, you feel that out the first couple of weeks. And then you try to reach a happy medium so that you're connecting with everybody.” Many of his civilian work experiences also make their way into math lectures: “Students find these real-life examples refreshing and can see the connection from the classroom to their possible working environments,” he said.
One of the joys of Moré’s tenure at Rutgers–Camden has been reading the feedback from former students on their time in his class. “Sometimes when I read the students’ evaluations, I am brought to tears,” he said. “They are so kind and appreciative; the things they say help me know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”
Driven by a set of guiding principles, Moré shows no signs of “retiring” from teaching.
“I love being in the classroom,” Moré said. “At my age, I think my students expect some wisdom or knowledge. My goal is to try to meet their expectations. It seems like I usually do.”
Paul Moré Jr. CCAS’65, lecturer of mathematics
Paul Moré Jr. CCAS’65, lecturer of mathematics
“At this stage of my life, I realize the gift I have for motivating, encouraging, and helping young people. I feel really fortunate to be in an environment where I can use those gifts, and the best thing about the job is how appreciative the students are.”
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Photography: Christina Lynn
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