Dalton Academy Welcomes Distinguished Guest from the University of Waterloo

March 12th, 2025

Earlier this month, Dalton Academy was honoured to welcome Dr. Paul McGrath, esteemed professor of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo, to offer a tutorial lesson to students considering majoring in Mathematics. We’re very humbled to have had the chance to host U Waterloo on many occasions over the years, as it provides our world class Math department a chance to interact with foreign professors and test their skills with challenging university-level problems.

Li Xinrong and Zhang Ruqi - two of our promising Math students who attended Dr. McGrath’s lesson – reflected positively on their experiences: “The professor’s teaching style was engaging and thought-provoking. He provided just enough hints to guide us toward the solution without giving it away.” said Xinrong.

While both students found the problems – which included interactive card flipping activities and hypothetical brain-teasers involving strategies for slaying a multi-headed Hydra – intellectually stimulating, for Ruqi, the real benefits of such exercises lie in how the professor conveyed his lifelong passion for Mathematics: “(Dr. McGrath) shared how he and his colleagues often spend hours discussing such problems, emphasizing the joy of discovering solutions through collaboration and persistence”. “This lecture not only introduced clever problem-solving techniques, but also highlighted the beauty and fun of mathematics. It left me with a sense of accomplishment and a deeper appreciation for the subject” added Xinrong.

We’re very proud of our Math department – teachers and students alike – for making Dalton Academy a prime destination for top universities seeking to recruit the best and brightest, and look forward to further cooperation with the outstanding Math and Science faculties at the University of Waterloo.