About Dr. Julia Olkin She has loved math all her life, so went straight from college to graduate school, receiving her Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences form Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1986. She worked as a Research Mathematician at Stanford Research Institute for 10 years. When her children entered kindergarten she quit work to stay home full time. Since Julia loves to help people build confidence in math, she started math tutoring, and has been tutoring kids and adults of all ages since 1999. She has also been a substitute math teacher in the Castro Valley School District since 1998. As a result, she is familiar with the curriculum and the State Standards. Julia now is an Assistant Professor in the Math and Computer Science department at Cal State University East Bay.