--- title: Tom Clark date: 2022-02-02T16:17:00-06:00 author: Click Rain Admin canonical_url: "https://www.dordt.edu/people/tom-clark" section: People --- [ View Directory](https://www.dordt.edu/academics/faculty-information) ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/people/68a8158f65c11d6ffb7.jpg?mode=crop&pos=top-center&w=25&h=25&f=webp&c=963e4f67&v=53d9dc68e5f61f5469e1bbc52379ddad87a3cce5460e113572f603268691fc45) [Mathematics / Statistics](https://www.dordt.edu/academics/faculty-information?department=mathematics-statistics-2) # Dr. Tom Clark Professor of Mathematics ![]() [712-722-6287](tel:712-722-6287) ![]() ![]() **Dr. Tom Clark** serves as professor of [mathematics](https://www.dordt.edu/academics/programs/mathematics-ba) at Dordt University. His academic interests include actuarial science, differential equations, mathematics education, and math circles. He currently leads Dordt's growing [actuarial science](https://www.dordt.edu/academics/programs/actuarial-science-ba) program, providing mentorship and fostering the development of students in the fields of applied mathematics and statistics. “I'm excited to be leading our growing actuarial science program,” says Dr. Clark. “It’s a joy to watch students develop their mathematical skills and see them succeed beyond their expectations. It's a big world that God has made, and I get to help students see just how big it is.” Dr. Clark is an active contributor to the academic community, with numerous published works to his name. His research spans topics such as fluid-structure interaction models, mathematical modeling in differential equations, and mathematics education. Notable publications include "Falling Water: A Modeling Story" in *PRIMUS* (2023), "Flappy Bird in Space: An Impulse Minimization Problem" in *Mathematics Magazine* (2021), and "Classroom and Computational Investigations of Camel Up" in *The College Mathematics Journal* (2021). His research has also been featured in *Evolution Equations and Control Theory* (2014) and *Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications* (2004). He is also a co-investigator of the [NSF Noyce Teaching Fellowship Grant](https://www.dordt.edu/noyce-scholars), a project that supports scholarships for students pursuing STEM teaching careers. Outside of teaching, Dr. Clark directs the Actuarial Science Club and serves on the Core Program Committee. He is also a [Lilly Network](https://thelillynetwork.org/) campus representative. In his personal life, Dr. Clark enjoys running, playing board games, and baking sourdough bread. **Education:** - Ph.D. in Mathematics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. - M.S. in Mathematics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. - M.A. in Education, Point Loma Nazarene University. - B.A. in Mathematics and Secondary Education, Calvin University. --- ## Articles by Tom Clark [ ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-sandbox.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=eed03cef&v=41c8646fffafea1da5f6a603d89713f42d058a52c1988158c51d6f17a13eb15f) Essays May 15, 2026 ### The Best Sandbox By Tom Clark Mathematics is not merely a tool for solving future problems, but a form of human play—an invitation to wonder, create, and delight in the beauty and order of God’s created world. How might we recover a vision of math as something to explore and a means of joy and human flourishing? Read More ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/the-best-sandbox)