Dr. Rick Sommer

Dr. Rick Sommer is currently Lecturer in Mathematics and Philosophy at Stanford University, and is formerly Executive Director of Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies. After completing his PhD at U.C. Berkeley, Dr. Sommer joined Stanford’s Department of Mathematics as Gabor Szego Assistant Professor. In 1995, Dr. Sommer co-founded the Stanford University Mathematics Camp, for which he served as Director for over 25 years. Also in the mid-90s, Rick took on a leadership role in developing online courses and residential summer programs for Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (SPCS), which served as the home to the Stanford Online High School as well as over a dozen summer and year-around pre-collegiate programs, many of which Dr. Sommer played a key role in designing, developing and leading. Dr. Sommer served as Executive Director of SPCS from 2015-2020. Dr. Sommer has a strong interest in educational outreach in math, science and technology, with a mission to inspire and develop the curiosity of young people of all backgrounds.  Dr. Sommer is Co-Founder and Board Member of AI4ALL, working to increase diversity in the leadership of AI, and he is Treasurer and Board Member of the Gathering for Gardner Foundation, stimulating curiosity and the playful exchange of ideas in mathematics and related fields, in the spirit of Martin Gardner.