11 Bradford Avenue
Dept. of Computer Science
Sharon, MA 02067
Stonehill College, Easton, MA 02357
(781) 784-1992
(508) 565-1008
Email: shai@stonehill.edu
Ph.D. in Computer Science, August 1986
Study funded by Royal E. Cabell Fellowship
M.S. in Computer Science, June 1982
Honorable Mention in 1980-1981 NSF Student Fellowship Competition
B.A. in Mathematics, May 1979
Van Am Mathematics Prize
Full Professor, 2000 – 2025 (Acting Chair 2005, 2012)
Associate Professor, 1994 – 1999
Assistant Professor, 1991 – 1993
Visiting Full Professor, 2013 – 2014
Assistant Professor, EECS Department, 1986 – 1990
Visiting Scholar, Mathematics, 2013 – 2014, (Funded by a Shay grant and Stonehill College)Computer Science Teacher, 1983 – 1985
Adjunct Professor, Computer Science Department, Summer 2012
Full Professor and Director, 2000 – 2001
Advanced Mathematics Program and Math Team Coach, 1999 – 2007
Visiting Professor, 1998 – 1999
Lecturer, 1983 – 1985
Visiting lecturer, 1982 – 1983
A Variation on the Min Cut Linear Arrangement Problem, Theory of Computing Systems (Formerly Math Systems Theory), 20 pp. 235-252 (1987).
Routing with Critical Paths, Info. Proc. Letters, Vol. 34, pp. 13-19 (1990).
Single Tree Grammars, with Sheila Greibach and Weiping Shi, Theoretical Studies in Computer Science, edited by J. Ullmann, Academic Press pp. 73-100 (1992).
On the Complexity of Tree Embedding Problems, with I. H. Sudborough, Info. Proc. Letters, Vol. 44, pp. 323-328 (1992).
Geography, with A. Fraenkel, Theoretical Computer Science A, Vol. 110, pp. 197-214 (1993).
Mathematical Gems of Levi ben Gershon, Mathematics Teacher, 93, 8, pp.659-663 (November 2000).
The Missing Problems of Gersonides – A Critical Edition, Part I, Historia Mathematica, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 243-302 (August 2000). Main paper with translation. Hebrew text.
The Missing Problems of Gersonides – A Critical Edition, Part II, Historia Mathematica, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 384-431 (November 2000). Main paper with translation. Hebrew text.
The Hebrew Mathematical Tradition, with T. Langermann, for Mathematics Across Cultures: A History of Western Mathematics, editor Helaine Selin, Kluwer Publishing, 2000. (Online version corrects some typos in published version).
The Mathematics of Levi ben Gershon, the Ralbag, Bekhol Derakhekha Daehu 10, Bar-Ilan University Press, pp. 5-21, Winter 2000.
Communication Methods, In Mathematics, ed. Barry Max Brandenberger, Jr. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2002.
A Combinatorial Card Trick, with Tara S. Holm, PRIMUS, Volume XIII, Number 3, pp. 248-269, September 2003.
(Online version corrects some typos and minor errors in published version).
A Post-Baccalaureate Undergraduate Level Program in Computer Science, On-Site Article, Communications of the ACM, Volume 45, No. 7, pp. 21-24, July 2002.
Mathematics and Computer Science: Exploring a Symbiotic Relationship, with Ralph Bravaco, Mathematics and Computer Education, Volume 38, No. 3, pp. 307-317, Fall 2004.
Public-Key Cryptography, From Calculus to Computers: Using the Last 200 Years of Mathematical History in the Classroom, editors Richard Jardine and Amy Shell, MAA Notes, Volume 68, November 2005.
Assessing Knowledge Change in Computer Science, Journal of Computer Science Education, with Jane Nash and Ralph Bravaco, Volume 16, Number 1, March 2006.
A Rabbi, Three Sums, and Three Problems, in Resources for Teaching Discrete Mathematics, ed. Brian Hopkins, MAA Notes, Volume 74, 2009. (Final galley changes)
The Mathematics of Levi ben Gershon in the Classroom, Convergence (September 2017)
The Five-Button Door Lock - Experiment and Discovery in Mathematics - with Tim Woodcock, Recreational Mathematics Magazine, Volume 8 Issue 14, pp. 105-125, 2021.
Bracket Challenge, with Stan Seltzer, Math Horizons, Volume 31, Issue 3, February 2024.
Ternary Brackets, with Stan Seltzer, to appear in College Math Journal, 45:1, 2025.
NP-Complete Problems with Bandwidth Constraints, Computer Science Seminar, Tel Aviv University (1983).
On the Complexity of Binary Tree Embeddings, with I. H. Sudborough, 15th Southeastern Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory and Computing, Baton Rouge (1984).
The Complexity of Planar Graph Problems, UIC EECS Forum, (1987).
Parallel Matrix Multiplication, UIC EECS Forum, (1988).
The Complexity of Graph Layout Problems, UIC EECS Forum, (1989).
A Variation on the Game Geography, with J. Vilimek, Proceedings Argonne Symposium for Undergraduates in Science, Engineering and Mathematics, No. 26 (1990).
What Machines Cannot Do - Teaching Undergraduate Theory of Computation,Teaching Seminar, Duke University, (1993).
Levi ben Gershon and Early Uses of Mathematical Induction, with Zeev Barel, Institute in History of Mathematics, Washington, DC, (1996).
Using Medieval Mathematics in Teaching History of Mathematics, Institute in History of Mathematics, Washington, DC, (1997).
Levi ben Gershon and Reading Manuscripts, Institute in History of Mathematics, Washington, DC, (1997).
History of Mathematical Ingenuity, Mathematical Association of America Mathfest, Atlanta, (August 1997).
Maaseh Hoshev - The Arithmetic, Algebra and Combinatorics of Levi ben Gershon, Regional Meeting of the American Mathematical Society, Montreal, (September 1997).
The Mathematics of Levi ben Gershon, Joint Mathematics Meeting AMS/MAA, Baltimore, (January, 1998).
Math of Levi ben Gershon, Mathematics Lecture, Stonehill College, (April 1998).
Square Root Algorithm of Levi ben Gershon, Invited Lecture Suffolk Community College, (April 1998).
Some Unpublished Problems of Levi ben Gershon, Yom Iyun - Some Leaves from the Scientific Jewish Bookcase, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, (December 1998).
The Mathematics of Levi ben Gershon, Invited Lecture, Jerusalem College of Technology, Jerusalem (May, 1999).
Decisive Mathematical Developments of the 20th Century, Stonehill College, November 1999.
Series of Lectures on Using Medieval Mathematics in the Classroom, Invited Lectures, MAA/NSF Symposium for Secondary School Mathematics Teachers, Washington DC, July 2001.
A Combinatorial Card Trick, Invited Lecture, Proceedings IWHIT, University of Aizu, March 2002.
Math in Unexpected Places, Invited Lecture, Mass Gamma Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon Induction Ceremony, Bridgewater State College, April 2004.
Technology in the Classroom, Invited Lecture, South Area Solomon Schechter Day School, February 2008.
Levi ben Gershon's Matrix Algebra, Parma Source, Special Session on History and Philosophy of Mathematics at the AMS Eastern Section Meetings at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts on April 10, 2011. Abstract.
Math Discovey Workshop, Ida Crown Jewish Academy, August 19-20, 2013.
Mathematical Discovery in the Classroom, Stonehill College Faculty Forum, March 20, 2015.
The Five-Button Door Lock - Computation Versus Mathematics, Invited Lecture, Providence College Math and Computer Science Colloquium, September 2015.
Fun Mathematics in the Elementary Classroom, JewishSTEMEducators, Zoom, Jan 30, 2024.
Interview Challenges and XOR, 2/26/2024, Stonehill ACM
Looking for Math in All the Wrong Places, Stonehill College Scholar Series, Spring 2024.
Java Programming - From the Ground Up, with Ralph Bravaco, McGraw Hill, (February 2009).
Rediscovering Mathematics, MAA, (March 2011).
The ACL Guidebook - A Patient's Point of View, (November 2019).
Looking for Math in All the Wrong Places - Math in Real Life, American Mathematical Society, (2022)
NP-Complete Problems with Bandwidth Constraints, Masters Thesis, Northwestern University Library (1983).
Layout Problems on Trees, Ph.D. Dissertation, Northwestern University Library (1986).
Computers and Poets, letter to Commentary Magazine, Vol. 82, No. 2 (1986).
Computer Go, UIC-IEEE Newletter, Vol 2, No. 3 (April 1987).
Pythagorean Theorem, Letter to Mathematics Teacher, Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 148 (February 1991).
How to Read Mathematics, Stonehill Writes, Vol. 6, 3, Stonehill College Press, pp.11-17 (1993).
Emblems of Mind, Book Review for MAA Online (1996).
Dissection Proofs of the Pythagoras' Theorem Using an Inscribed Circle, Cut-the-Knot website
How to Read Mathematics, Hacker Monthly, Issue 5, October 2010.
Media Highlights Contributions, College Math Journal, MAA, 2013-2014.
Sourcebook in the Mathematics of Medieval Europe and North Africa, edited by V. Katz, Chapter 2: Mathematics in Hebrew in Medieval Europe, Princeton University Press, November 2016, pp. 224-380.
Bravaco, Ralph and Simonson, Shai, From Pascal to C++ - A Workshop for Secondary School Teachers of Computer Science, Distributed at Stonehill College Summer C++ Workshop (1998-1999).
Bravaco, Ralph and Simonson, Shai, Java and Object-Oriented Programming - A Workshop for Secondary School Teachers of Computer Science, Distributed at Stonehill College Summer Java Workshop (Summer 2003).
How Computers Work: an Introductory Programming Text for Non-majors using Logo.
Online Videos
Pioneer online lectures on discrete mathematics, theory of computation, and algorithms, with over 1,000,000 views worldwide. These highly acclaimed lectures reach thousands of struggling students in developing nations, as well as professionals and students in Europe and North America.
National Science Foundation Research Initiation Grant, Communication Costs in Hypercube Multiprocessors, 1987-1989, $60,000.
National Science Foundation NSFNET Program, with Ray Pepin, Internet Connection for Stonehill College, 1992-1995, $32,000.
National Science Foundation ILI Program, A Graphics Based Algorithm Analysis Laboratory,1994-1996, $30,000.
National Science Foundation Teacher Enhancement Program, Integrating Object-Oriented Programming into the High School Curriculum, with Ralph Bravaco, 1998-2000, $98,000.
National Science Foundation Science and Technology Studies, A Critical Edition of Levi ben Gershon's Maaseh Hoshev, 1999-2001, $75,000.
National Science Foundation, Java Workshop for Secondary School Teachers, with Ralph Bravaco, 2003-2005, $167,000.
Computer Science Department Nominee for University of Illinois Silver Circle Teaching Award, 1988.
Certificate of Recognition from UIC Student Research Opportunity Program, 1989.
Other Grants
University of Illinois at Chicago Campus Research Board, An Expert System to Play GO, 1988, $5000.
Stonehill College Summer Grant, Course Design - How Computers Work, 1992, $2500.
Stonehill College Small Grants, Course Design - History of Mathematical Ingenuity, 1993, $400.
Stonehill College Manuscript Grant, Algorithms by Experiment, 1993, $500.
Stonehill College Summer Grant, Translating Maaseh Hoshev of Levi ben Gershon, 1997, $1600.
Stonehill College Summer Grant, Course Design - Mathematical Experiments Using Computers, a Learning Community, 2002, $1100.
Shay Grant, Mathematical Discovery Labs, with Dr. Jeremy Kahan, Ida Crown Jewish Academy, 2013 - 2014, $40,000.
McGraw Hill, $2500, 2014, Java Teaching Project Consulting
Calculus I, Calculus II, Techniques of Calculus, Discrete Mathematics, Graph Theory, History of Mathematical Ingenuity, Mathematics for Educators.
Program Committee 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2021)
SIGCSE Committee on the Implementation of a Discrete Mathematics Course, 2003.
Listed in American Men and Woman of Science, 2002 - present.
ACM 2001 Curriculum Task Force for Foundations of Computer Science, 1999-present.
MAA Mathfest Program Committee, Summer 1999.
Founder and Faculty Advisor of the Stonehill College Chess Club, 1996-present.
Faculty Advisor for the Stonehill College Student Chapter of the ACM, 1991-present.
Reviewer for: Jones and Bartlett, PWS-Kent, Prentice Hall, McGraw Hill, CRC Press, Princeton University Press, National Science Foundation, Swiss National Science Foundation, Israel Science Foundation, and Oxford University Press, 1986-present.
Referee for: Historia Mathematica, IEEE Trans. on Software Eng., IEEE Trans. on Computing, IEEE Software, Theoretical Computer Science, Kluwer Academic Publishing, Compsac, American Mathematical Monthly, Adv. Appl. Math, Convergence, Cultures of Mathematics and Logic, Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Math Journal, 1986-present.
Founder and Faculty Advisor of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Go Club, 1986 - 1990.
Chaired the UIC Computer Science Forum - A Weekly Research Seminar, 1986 - 1990.
Chair, Committee to Revise the Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum at UIC, 1989.
Faculty Mentor for the UIC Student Research Opportunity Program, 1988.
Member Mathematical Association of America (MAA), 1986 - present.
Member Association of Computing Machines (ACM), 1983 - present.
Stonehill Committees and Service
Merit Committee (3 years)
Intercultural Affairs Committee (6 years)
Academic Standing Committee (2 years)
Goldwater Fellowship Committee (3 years)
Small Grants Committee (4 years)
Catholic Jewish Dialogue Program
Ad-hoc Computer Assessment Committee (1 year)
Honors Program Committee (2 years)
Rank and Tenure Committee (7 years)
Faculty Mentor (2 years)
Community Associate for Residence Halls (1 year)
Strategic Planning Committee (1 year)
Faculty Adviser - Stonehill Chapter of the ACM (30+ years)
Faculty Adviser - Chess and Go Club (30+ years)
Faculty Adviser - Women in STEM (3 years)
Engineering Curriculum Steering Committee (1 year)
Go, Bridge, Bicycling, Hiking, Cantorial Chanting, Disc Golf.