Mathematics professor Jim DeFranza specializes in Classical Summability and FK Sequence Space Theory, but admits he has trouble with basic arithmetic at times. 

DeFranza leans back in his chair, struggling to remember how many years he has been married to his wife, Regan.  “I’m a mathematician, but I don’t add well,” he chuckles.  After a long pause he finally announces, “Thirty-four years!”

This fall, DeFranza plans to release his fourth textbook, Linear Algebra.  It caps off a distinguished 25-year career at St. Lawrence. 

DeFranza discovered early on as an undergraduate at Kent State University that he wanted to work with numbers. Upon receiving his Ph.D. from KSU in 1979, DeFranza landed a job at a large state school.  At the recommendation of a friend, he applied for a position at St. Lawrence, drawn by the smaller class size and beautiful surrounding area.  A typical class, he says, might have between 15 and 20 students.