Dr. de Silva earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at the University of Peradeniya. After teaching for a year at the ill-fated Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka as an Instructor, he came to the University of Pittsburgh, from where he earned an M.A. in 1977, and a Ph.D in 1983 on differential geometry and relativity. Right after graduation, he came to Lycoming to teach mathematics, and also taught programming for a few years.

      From 1999 to 2002 Dr de Silva served as editor of PCTM Magazine, the journal of the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics. His mathematical interests include theoretical physics, mathematical software applications and numerical analysis, dynamical systems and fractals. He is also interested in music, from Bach to Mendelssohn, Wagner and the Beatles.