On Feb. 13, Sonoma State University notified students and faculty about the tragic death of Dr. André Minor of the mathematics and statistics department. He was reportedly working on his property in the Mayacamas Mountains on Feb. 11 when the accident involving a tree falling occurred around 11 am.
André was a beloved family man who recently welcomed his daughter, Maise, into the world in early December with his wife, Tina. In addition to being a wonderful father and husband, André was adored by his colleagues and students.
André Minor was 38 years old and began teaching at SSU in the fall of 2013. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UC Berkeley in 2006 and his Ph. D from UC San Diego in 2011. He taught all levels of calculus as well as a variety of other classes in mathematics and statistics during his time at SSU.
Dr. Sam Brannen, mathematics and statistics department chair, recalled some of his favorite memories with André, “Talking about our favorite video game, “Breath of the Wild,” hearing about everything he was doing at his property in the Mayacamas Mountains; planting grapes, clearing land, rebuilding his home after losing it in the Glass fire, and seeing his big, friendly smile each time he walked into the office.”
Dr. Brigitte Lahme, a professor in the SSU mathematics and statistics department also grieves this tragic loss. She recounted her first time meeting André, “I met André when he applied to be in the lecturer pool at SSU in the Spring of 2012. I have worked with him since the Fall of 2013 when he started to teach in our department. In fact, I was the department chair when he started teaching for us.”
Dr. Lahme added, “André was the most enthusiastic and kindest person you could ever meet. He shared his love for math and learning with his students, who absolutely loved him and would rave about his teaching. He made math fun and non-threatening. He regularly brought applications inspired by his work in his vineyard into his math classes. For example, he used the linear relationship between water pressure and water height to find the leak in an irrigation line. He measured the pressure at the bottom of the line, computed the elevation of the likely leak, and started digging. He was so thrilled when he found the leak exactly where he expected it based on his calculations.”
SSU biology major, Evan Spaulding, took Math 161 with André in the fall of 2020. Evan said, “I never met him in person but I met with him on zoom many times and he helped me pass the final math class I needed for my major. He was super friendly and is down to earth and always happy to help”.
A memorial has been set up in Darwin 108 for students to visit if they wish to pay their respects, with a notebook for people to write their memories and a box for written cards to André’s family. In addition, a gofundme has been created in his memory and any donations will go directly to André’s wife, Tina.
Seth Nuzum, a computer science major at SSU also recounted his time taking calculus with André in 2020. “Professor Minor was always eager to help his students truly internalize and learn complex concepts along with showing us the power that these mathematical sequences have in the world around us. He was a great man and an inspiration to so many students. A true leader at Sonoma State.”
Our thoughts are with the Minor family and all those who knew André. For those in need of assistance in processing this loss, please contact CAPS if you are a student or Empathia for faculty. You can visit CAPS during office hours or call 707-664-2153 at any time. Empathia can be reached at 1-800-367-7474.
