Part One of our interview with the dean of CNSM, Dr. Curtis Bennett.  Here are the questions covered in this part: 

Can you please introduce yourself? (name, years at CSULB, classes that you taught, where did you go to school?)

1. What exactly does the dean of a college do?
   
2. How long were you a professor before you became the dean of CNSM?
   
3. Why did you choose to study math? What was your math journey like (Was it easy or difficult? In times of difficulty, what made it worth the struggle?)
   
4. Did you ever have a semester that made you consider not being a mathematician?
   
5. Was there anything as an undergraduate that helped you prepare for grad school?
   
6. What do you think makes pure math and applied math different?
   
7. For students going into a math program but unsure which field to go into, what would you say the most important classes for each discipline?