Dario Domingo, AIMS volunteer
Dario Domingo is a Postdoctoral Research Associate, with interest in Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification and applications to Climate and Energy.
What was your volunteer role at the RSS?
I was a tutor at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Cameroon, from January to May 2023.
What did the role involve?
I supported the teaching of different Data Science and Machine Learning modules, by designing and running associated tutorials, carrying out marking, and providing one-to-one clarifications to the students. I also often sat with them to discuss PhD opportunities in Europe/US, revise their CV and cover letters, and helped them prepare for academic interviews.
Why did you choose this role?
I genuinely enjoy teaching and being of help to others. The AIMS opportunity was the perfect occasion to join my passion for teaching with my long-time desire to volunteer in Africa. I embarked on the experience with great enthusiasm and never regretted the decision.
Has the experience been valuable for your professional development?
Absolutely. I improved my teaching skills and I developed further an attitude to include games and interactive activities in teaching, confirming how these can make maths learning both more enjoyable and more effective. Moreover, I had the opportunity to meet academics from all over the world, some of whom I am still in contact with.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience?
AIMS is a truly panafrican and international environment, with a strong sense of community: students, tutors and lecturers live together 24/7. Exchanging opinions with the students made me learn a lot about African traditions and culture. Moreover, I spent a few days in a local village, an experience which I still recall with great pleasure.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in volunteering with the RSS?
Consider the roles that you believe to be most gratifying for you and ask the RSS to be put in contact with past volunteers. This way you can get a better feeling of time commitments, challenges, and put forward an informed application.
What's next – do you plan to carry on in this role or are you tempted to try other volunteer roles?
I’d love to go back to AIMS to tutor or deliver a course if my time commitments allow for it. In the meantime, I am volunteering with the RSS through the Statisticians for Society scheme. I am supporting a UK charity in their statistical analyses, to show that a marketing expedient they have introduced has significantly increased the proportion of children in Zambia being correctly treated from diarrhoea.