Deacon Spotlight: Mark Ginn

Mark Ginn (1988, BS in Mathematics, 1990, MA in Mathematics)

Professor of Mathematics at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC

Tell us about your current job role and employer. What are you currently working on?

I am in my 28th year as a faculty member at Appalachian State although this year I am returning to the classroom full time after eleven years as the department chair and 8 years as the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. So this fall I am on leave to “retool” by learning the new software that we are using to teach and updating the materials for my courses in the spring. One of the courses I am teaching is Linear Algebra which is all about vector spaces, the basis for the Large Language Models in AI so I am doing quite a bit of work learning how those models work so I can incorporate some of those ideas into my class. I have also always done a lot of research projects with students so I am trying to find new topics to work on with them as well.

What key personal and/or career experiences led you to where you are today?

I was a student athlete while at Wake as a member of the football team and decided to go to graduate school after my coach asked me if I would be interested in staying as a graduate assistant coach. After two years of doing that I was faced with the difficult choice of either continuing a career as a college football coach or pursuing a Ph. D. in math. I often tell people that like most people faced with that dilemma I chose the glamorous option of graduate school in math! Looking back it was the right choice and after receiving my Ph.D. from Emory University I obtained my first faculty position at Austin Peay State University and then four years later came to App State. The year after receiving tenure at App I moved into the department chair role and began a 19 year journey in administrative roles, eleven years as department chair and 8 as Vice Provost. In my role as Vice Provost I was basically charged with overseeing and enhancing the undergraduate student academic experience. This included a lot of student support and retention programs, like tutoring, writing support, orientation, and advising as well as enhancement programs like student research, international programs, and career development. It was a rewarding job but one that pushed me a long way out of my comfort zone in a math classroom. Now I am returning to that comfort zone and hope that it will be comfortable again!

What is the most challenging aspect of your job? How do you navigate that challenge?

The challenge is always how do we reach our students to give them a transformational educational experience. The problem is as soon as you think you have figured that out, the students change (or the technology changes). When I first started teaching I remember having to explain what the internet was and what a web browser (Netscape at the time) was. That is no longer needed, rather we have to teach students how to use the latest technological tools, including AI, to enhance their educational experiences and to be prepared for the jobs of the future while also having to remind them to put down those devices and interact with the people right here with them. I navigate these challenges by paying attention to students, keeping up to date on the latest literature, and being willing to try new things.

What advice would you give to Wake Forest graduates about developing their personal life habits after college (finances, health, values, work/life balance)?

The age old advice is to do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. While that is true in some ways I would say that you also have to keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities including new ways of doing the same old things. The pace of change, especially technological change is faster than ever today and staying abreast of these changes can help you to stay on the forefront of whatever business you are in.

We know that relationships are important for any kind of development. How do you build and maintain your network?

An interesting side effect of the ever expanding reach of technology is the increased importance of human relationships. It is the one thing a computer can’t replace! Having worked the same place for 28 years and having had jobs that took me all over campus, I know a lot of people and continue to work to maintain those connections. As I return to the classroom I am trying to reestablish some connections in the mathematics world after several years more connected in the areas of student success.

Tell us about your mentoring relationships. What impact have these relationships had on your career and life?

I have had a lot of mentors through my career. From Wake, Richard Carmichael and Fred Howard are two that remained mentors even after I left Wake and was starting my career. I also had some strong mentors from the football side of things including Whitey Jordan, my position coach and the coach I worked for as a GA as well as Bill Faircloth, the long time Director of Football Operations at Wake. Coach Faircloth was the best example of a Servant Leader you could ever find and some of the lessons and habits I learned from him I still use today (and I just saw him last week!)

What advice would you give to current Wake Forest students and/or young alumni who are interested in working in your industry?

Higher education is a rewarding career choice and gives you a chance to offer to others the opportunities that Wake Forest has offered you. It is a changing industry though as the number of high school graduates is leveling off in America and technology is changing the way education is delivered so don’t go into it thinking it will be exactly what you experienced. It can still be a great career though. Obviously, a graduate degree is almost always required and getting experience and learning about how a university works is a great start.

What’s next for your career? What future goals or plans are you pursuing?

I am looking forward to returning to the classroom in January and hope to reengage with my first love of teaching math. Beyond that, we will have to see what the future holds.

Story published in July 2025. For current updates about Mark, visit his LinkedIn profile.