Rosser Matthews
Meet Dr. Rosser Matthews - Expert History, Writing & Mathematics Tutor
Dr. Rosser Matthews is a highly accomplished educator, senior science and medical writer, and historian holding a Ph.D. in the History of Science & Medicine from Duke University. With many years of experience teaching in the professional writing program at the University of Maryland, Rosser brings an interdisciplinary, narrative-driven approach to tutoring. He specializes in mentoring high schoolers, college undergraduates, and adult learners, helping them master core sciences, sophisticated humanities concepts, and advanced writing workflows.
Areas Of Expertise:
History (World History & Western Civilization): Highly confident and experienced tutoring history at advanced levels. Rosser has taught Western and World Civilization history courses at the college level.
Academic & Professional Writing: Offers mentorship-driven editing and collaborative coaching. He has extensive experience teaching science writing, revising prose to conform to reader expectations, and guiding students to improve their research mechanics and argumentation skills.
Mathematics & Statistics: An undergraduate mathematics major equipped to tutor advanced mathematical frameworks, including calculus and algebraic concepts. He brings deep knowledge in statistics and logical reasoning, enabling him to explain complex, data-driven ideas simply.
Grade Levels: Highly comfortable and experienced teaching high school students, college undergraduates, and adult learners (Grades 9 through College/Adult).
Teaching Philosophy:
"When a student is struggling with a complex concept, I suggest alternative perspectives and draw direct analogies to ideas they have already mastered. For example, when demonstrating how to find a derivative in calculus, I would build on an earlier understanding of algebra. An algebraic function involves plugging in a number (“x”) and getting out another number (“y”). With calculus, we are doing the same thing at a higher level—we are now plugging in a function and getting out another (derived) function. The derived function would correspond to a line tangent to a curve, which I would show by drawing a graph to aid visual learners. For history students, I banish the dry 'facts and dates' approach. Instead, I would actively engage by showing that we are continuously surrounded by history, demonstrating how modern staples like automobiles and the internet evolved from experimental novelties into seamless aspects of everyday life. Transforming history into compelling, interconnected stories dramatically improves long-term conceptual retention."
What Makes Rosser Special:
Accomplished University Lecturer: Served for seven years as an Adjunct Lecturer in the University of Maryland's Professional Writing Program.
Research Mentor to an Award-Winning Student: Supervised a winner of the UMD Library Award for Undergraduate Research.
Experienced AP Reader: Served as a reader (grader) for AP Seminar on one occasion.
Expert Digital Educator: Certified E-Learning Instructor through Northeastern University, where he taught online for a number of years.
Education & Achievements:
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in History of Science & Medicine, Duke University.
Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Master of Public Policy (MPP) in Health Policy, The College of William and Mary.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Mathematics & Philosophy, The College of William and Mary.
Medical Writer Certified (MWC), American Medical Writers Association.
Postdoctoral Fellowships, National Institutes of Health (NINDS) & Georgetown University Medical Center.
Award Recipient: Gold Hermes Creative Award (2023) for impactful NIH public communications.