Doug Irving is living proof that mathematics mentors in high school can have lasting influence. In fact he says two fellow Descartes medallists, Earl Marcy and David Palmer, taught him in high school and taught him to love mathematics. Yet another Descartes medallist, Ed Baumgart, was Doug’s first department head and a significant influence on his life and career.
Doug went to elementary school in Lambton County, then Sarnia Central C.I. and the University of Waterloo.
He taught at Eastwood C.I. in Kitchener and Waterloo C.I. in Waterloo where he was department head. Doug was involved for many years with the Grand Valley Mathematics Association and worked with the Canadian Mathematics Competition on the Euclid Contest problems committee. One of his mathematics contest teams–his Descartes team–was ranked first in Canada in 1988.
Doug has many interests outside the classroom: photography, gardening, woodworking, travelling and his church. He’s also keen on several sports: bowling, squash, racquetball, and coaching basketball.