Diane Salinas, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, helps her students survive and thrive in math classes.

Salinas has made an impact on the local Kentwood community through her facilitation of the STEM day events. Students participate in interactive and engaging activities that show how math and science can be fun and interesting. Through these events, Salinas has probably reached over 1,500 students in the years this project has run. She also has involved many of our DU math and science faculty to assist with these events, giving them a chance to show off their wide range of talents and interests.

Salinas also provides supervision of study tables for DU athletes, taking her positive influence beyond her own classrooms.

A few comments from students include:

• “Diane is a great teacher. Her methods of approaching math worked so well for me as a student who has always struggled with math.”
• “I loved the use of MyMathLab for homework and, if I ever had a question, I could email Diane and get a quick and accurate response.”
• “Teacher rocked! She gives everything to you to succeed in the class.”
• “Instructor was naturally entertaining while also being clear and serious about teaching subject matter.”
• “I really liked this class. The instructor was entertaining, and made you excited about learning. She was also really good at explaining things, showing examples, and providing help if needed.”
• “It was super helpful to have time in class to work on homework so we would be able to ask questions. I also found the ‘cheat sheets’ extremely helpful on the tests. It was nice that we didn’t have to memorize all these different equations, but instead just focused on how to use them.”
• “It was also helpful to see how much statistics are used in everyday life, like the election. Overall, this was one of my favorite classes.”

Family is important to Salinas. Juggling the many activities of her four children, she spends countless hours transporting them to numerous activities including various sports, choir and theater events while always offering encouragement and support.

She also coaches volleyball at Caledonia schools and brings the dedication and emphasis on Student Athlete to both Caledonia and DU athletes.