Jason Bintz: Southern Math Teacher Turned Seminarian Turned Houghton Math Professor

The first time Doctor Jason Bintz, Houghton College’s new assistant professor of applied mathematics, attempted to visit the Houghton campus, he found himself snowbound. Fresh from a mild Tennessee winter, he arrived in Buffalo to learn that his ride from the college could not drive into the city. Bintz was ultimately forced to find a hotel room, and conducted the first part of his job interview over Skype. Happily, he made it to campus the next day, and was officially offered the position a few weeks later.

Despite the snowy introduction to Houghton, Bintz was thrilled accepted the offer.

“I was just leaving my house when I got the call,” said Bintz. “I went back inside, and celebrated with my family.”

Bintz began his career in higher education as an undergraduate student at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Like Houghton, Covenant is both a liberal arts college and a member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. Bintz graduated from the institution with a degree in mathematics in 2003, and immediately found work teaching high school math in nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee. Three years later, he decided to continue his education, but in a different field.

“In my time working with high school students, I felt called to seminary,” said Bintz. “I wanted to receive the same training a pastor receives.”

This new vocation led Bintz to the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, where he and his wife resided until his graduation in 2008. From there, Bintz returned to teaching math at the secondary level for one last year before he made the choice to pursue graduate work in applied mathematics at the University of Tennessee. He graduated with his Ph.D. this year.

“At the end of the day, I wanted to be in a college setting,” said Bintz.

During his time at the University of Tennessee, Bintz worked on two main projects in the area of mathematical biology. One attempted to find the best way to allocate resources in order to benefit a specific species, while the other involved building a mathematical model to evaluate the policies implemented by hospitals to reduce Clostridium difficile infections. Bintz remains interested in the broad range of mathematical applications for biology research, and hopes to eventually interest his students in this area.

According to Linda Mills Woolsey, Dean of the College and Vice-President of Academic Affairs, Bintz’s work using math to support biology research, along with his abilities as an interdisciplinary thinker, helped tip the balance in his favor during the hiring process. Kristin Camenga, former chair of Houghton’s department of mathematics and computer science, as well as a member of the search committee that hired Bintz, echoes this sentiment.

“One of the things that impressed me about Jason is his care for people and his deep interest in subjects that cut across disciplinary lines,” she said. “The fact that he has a seminary degree and a Ph.D. in applied math gives him a broad base of knowledge to connect with others, but Jason did research to find out about other faculty at Houghton and their interests to discover commonalities. I really think he will be a great addition to the math faculty and the college at large!” 

Bintz first met with the search committee from Houghton for a short interview in early January at the 2015 Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Antonio, Texas. They met once more during his February campus visit before Bintz was offered the job. While he had applied other places, Houghton was always his preference.

“I had a pretty strict profile in mind of where I wanted to be,” said Bintz. “Houghton was the only school that fit the profile, and the job was exactly what I wanted to do.” He adds that he is also excited for his wife and three children to experience the kind of community Houghton has to offer them as a family.  “We’re really happy to be here.”

This semester, Bintz teaches Calculus I, Multi-Variable Calculus, and Probability and Statistics. His experience in his field, his commitment to his faith and family, and his enthusiasm about the college community all point to his being an excellent fit for Houghton.