Scholar, teacher, mentor

Lisa Oberbroeckling, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, has taught at Loyola since 2002.

Oberbroeckling, who serves as class dean of the Class of 2022, earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Oregon. While working toward her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of Iowa, Oberbroeckling was also involved in biostatistics research. Her latest scholarship includes a contract for a textbook she wrote for one of her mathematics courses. On campus, she’s involved with the Hyman Science Scholars Program and serves as Loyola’s NCAA faculty athletic representative. The Dubuque, Iowa, native lives in Baltimore with her husband and 9-year-old son.

Loyola magazine interviewed Oberbroeckling to ask about her hopes as class dean for the Class of 2022.

What does it mean to you to serve as the class dean for the Class of 2022?

I’m honored and a little humbled. I was lucky to have access to mentorship at other larger institutions, and I love that faculty can develop relationships with students at Loyola. As class dean, I have the opportunity to expand the mentorship I’ve always loved about my job. I’m looking forward to following the Class of 2022, so I can help guide them through their Loyola career and watch them grow as individuals.

What would you tell students who are interested in STEM?

One of the things I tell students is that there are plenty of jobs for STEM majors that are not directly related to science and math. For example, there are different positions at business consulting firms that are STEM-related but aren’t directly tied to math and science. It’s a myth that your major leads you to one type of job.

I think Loyola does an excellent job at making sure students get a well-rounded education through the Jesuit values and curriculum. Loyola’s education makes them more nimble in the workforce.

I would also tell students they should be going above and beyond in the classroom, get involved in various clubs and organizations, and develop relationships.

What is something students might be surprised to learn about you?

They might be surprised to learn that I’m a certified scuba diver. My husband and I originally got certified so we could scuba dive in Fiji for our honeymoon.

Another interesting fact is that my family values education partly because my two grandfathers never graduated from high school and my mother never went to college. My family instilled a love of reading and learning in all of us. My three sisters and I received not only undergraduate, but also graduate degrees in different fields (medicine, law, forensic chemistry, and of course mathematics).

Do you have any upcoming research?

One of the biggest things I’m working on right now is a contract for a textbook I wrote. The title of the textbook is Programming Mathematics Using MATLAB. This textbook was developed through the class notes of a unique course I helped develop and teach at Loyola.

What advice do you have for Loyola students?

First and foremost, if any student is feeling overwhelmed or out of place, they aren’t alone.

Second, I would encourage students to seek out faculty, their Messina team, advisors, administrators, and peer leaders as much as they can to develop meaningful relationships. You never know when you might meet someone again or need a letter of recommendation and they will want to call upon those relationships built at Loyola.