Alex Joujan

For 20+ years, Alex Joujan has been helping kids learn math. He currently teaches at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, NJ, where he has been on the faculty since 2011. During this time he has received 2 awards for excellence in teaching. Alex started writing his own resources in 2013 to improve the learning experience for his students. This project developed into the Summit Math series of books, so named to reflect that his curriculum is like hiking; although hiking requires effort and persistence, people can hike at different paces and still reach the summit of the hike. Similarly, Summit Math books are designed to guide students toward a mastery of each topic, while allowing students to learn at their own pace. Alex was born in Mukinge, Zambia and moved to Chattanooga, TN when he was 5. His family moved to TN after his father died in a car accident, and he is grateful to the many people who guided him through his childhood. His decision to pursue a career in teaching was partially motivated by his appreciation for the impact that his teachers had in his life. In 2005, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Muhlenberg College. While in college, Alex volunteered weekly at an after-school tutoring program for kids in downtown Allentown. At the end of his senior year, he received 3 awards for his involvement in community service, in addition to the Muhlenberg College Goodwill Prize, awarded to the senior who has made the greatest impact on the surrounding community. In 2006, he earned his M.S. Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2006, he was also awarded a 5-year Teaching Fellowship from the Knowles Teacher Initiative. Alex has been a Knowles Senior Fellow since 2011. Alex continues writing to help improve the learning experience for both students and teachers. He writes every book with the same intention: to help students succeed in learning math by starting with simple, foundational concepts and gradually building on those ideas in small steps.