Bios: Tim and Robin

Tim's experience with math coaching began as an undergraduate electrical engineering student in the 1960's.  His university ran a program, the Akron Tutorial Project, to help under-resourced students in math and science.  Tim tutored algebra one night a week at a location near an orphanage. Tim grew up in Ohio and received a BS in Electrical Engineering from Akron University (1969).  He worked in integrated circuits development for 2.5 years at General Electric while attending graduate school in electrical engineering at Syracuse University (New York).  For the next 15 years he worked at National Semiconductor (Santa Clara, CA), in integrated circuit product development and management roles, traveling extensively in the States, Europe, and the Pacific Rim countries of Asia.  In 1986 Tim joined an electronic design automation start-up (SDA Systems) which morphed into Cadence Design Systems.  For 5 formative years of this new company Tim served as Vice President of Operations. Tim also had a long and broad history of Christian volunteer work in the local church.  He left industry in 1990 to prepare for a season in vocational Christian ministry.  He continued doing Christian volunteer ministry while attending Fuller Theological Seminary.  In late 1992 Tim became the interim pastor of the New Life Nazarene Church in Cupertino, California and served there for the next 18 years.  During this period God transformed New Life into a multi-cultural church of 3 congregations (English, Mandarin, Cantonese) with several shared ministries (children, youth, missions, local compassion, and a preschool).  Tim "semi-retired" in June of 2010 from vocational ministry, but continues to serve quite actively in volunteer ministry.  For more about Tim's work in this season of semi-retirement, click on Tim Isbell Online. Robin graduated with a degree in secondary education (English and math) from University of Toledo (Ohio), and an M.A. in molecular biology from San Jose State University (California).  For most of the marriage Robin focused on raising the family and serving in our local church.  After getting her graduate degree, she worked for a few years in a genetics laboratory at San Jose State University.  She gave this up to serve as a "mother Superior" (otherwise known as the pastor's wife) at New Life Nazarene Church. In parallel with all this we lived a family life.  We married in 1967, raised 2 children, and we now enjoy 3 grandchildren.  Through the years we've served in a wide variety of Christian service areas, and we continue to do so.  We're a team. In May, 2010, I retired from vocational church ministry and together we began a new season.  Part of this includes Math Coaching for under-resourced students. God is blessing us with a new life and a new spirit for new season of life.