Certificates of
Meritorious Service
1987 Joseph
Hashisaki, Western Washington University (posthumously)
1991 Calvin
T. Long, Washington State University
1996 Donald
W. Bushaw, Washington State University
2001 Kenneth
A. Ross, University of Oregon
2006 Marjorie
Enneking, Portland State University
1987 Joseph Hashisaki, Western
Washington University (posthumously)
The
first sectional Certificate for Meritorious Service was presented in 1987 to
Joseph Hashisaki posthumously. His widow
Mary Jane and his daughter Susan attended the award ceremony in San
Antonio. The following citation was
written by sectional Governor D. George McRae:
Starting with humble beginnings in
rural eastern Montana Joseph Hashisaki grew to a man of outstanding
mathematical stature in the Pacific Northwest and the nation.
After his undergraduate studies in
mathematics at the University of Montana (Missoula) and his service in the
Pacific front during World War II, he received his Ph.D. from the University of
Illinois. He served on the mathematics
faculty at the University of Montana from 1953 to 1962, before moving to
Western Washington University (Bellingham) to become chairman of the
mathematics department. At Bellingham he
provided the leadership to develop and strengthen the undergraduate and
graduate programs in mathematics. His
book on the Theory of Arithmetic (co-authored with John Peterson) became a
benchmark in the training of elementary teachers across the land. In the early 1970's, he was the founding
editor of the Two Year College
Mathematics Journal (now the MAA's College Mathematics Journal ). Always a strong supporter of MAA, Joe served
on numerous committees and task forces.
But to the many that knew him
personally, probably the most memorable aspect of his life was his infectious
enthusiasm for mathematics. Through his
unselfish caring and encouragement he influenced a large number of young people
to become professional mathematicians.
Many a young mathematics student went to that first mathematics meeting
or presented that first paper because of the gentle persuasion of this fine
teacher.
On
January 2, 1986, the mathematical community lost one of its finest members.
1991 Calvin T. Long, Washington State
University
The
second sectional Certificate for Meritorious Service was presented at the San
Francisco meeting in January 1991 to Calvin T. Long, Washington State
University. The citation was written and
presented by sectional Governor Norman F. Lindquist:
In 1955, after studying with Ivan
Niven, Calvin T. Long received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. The following year he joined the faculty at
Washington State University where he continues to teach with distinction. He served as Chair of Section (1967-1968) and
as Governor (1982-1985). In addition, he
has served on several committees and panels for the Section and has advised the
Washington state government on mathematics education. Moreover, he has led many projects for the
improvement of mathematics education, including securing grants for inservice
training of mathematics teachers.
For
more than thirty years, Professor Long has delivered lectures and colloquia at
colleges and high schools, stimulating the imagination and curiosity of both
students and teachers.
1996 Donald W. Bushaw, Washington
State University
The
third sectional Certificate for Meritorious Service was presented at the
January 1996 meeting in Orlando, Florida, to Donald W. Bushaw of Washington
State University. Here is the citation.
Professor Donald W. Bushaw attended
public schools in Bremerton, Washington, graduating from high school in
1943. His undergraduate studies were
done at the State College of Washington (now Washington State University). He received his Ph.D. from Princeton
University in 1952. His dissertation,
under the direction of Solomon Lefschetz, was a pioneering study which opened
up the new mathematical discipline of control theory. He returned to Washington State University in
1952, starting as an instructor and steadily climbing the academic ladder to
the rank of full professor in 1962. He
has taught a wide variety of mathematics courses at both the undergraduate and
graduate levels, but his interests are not limited to mathematics. He taught a course in Eastern Civilization
for the Honors Program at Washington State University and participated in
graduate seminars in English and Foreign Languages. He has used his extraordinary linguistic
abilities to translate a number of books and research articles in a variety of
languages, including Russian and Chinese.
Don has contributed in many ways to
the MAA and the mathematics community, serving as a Visiting Lecturer, to both
colleges and high schools, and on numerous committees and panels on curricular
reform at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. From 1970 to 1973, he was a member of the
MAA’s Board of Governors and was nominated three times for the presidency of
the Association. He served on the Board
of Editors for The College Mathematics Journal, has been a consultant to many
colleges and universities, and has been a member of accreditation teams for as
many as five institutions. Don has
contributed extensively as a referee and reviewer of books, articles and grant
proposals. In 1987 he was named honorary
member of the Polish Mathematical Society, and later led a delegation on
University Mathematics Education to China.
Professor Bushaw is widely
recognized as an exceptionally gifted writer and speaker. Among his writings are research papers on
control theory, differential equations, topology, and mathematical economics as
well as many papers dealing with mathematics education, the history of
mathematics and mathematical biographies.
The
Pacific Northwest Section is honored to recognize Professor Bushaw with the MAA
Certificate for Meritorious Service.
2001 Kenneth A. Ross, University of
Oregon
The Pacific Northwest Section of the
Mathematical Association of America is both pleased and honored to nominate
Kenneth A. Ross for a Certificate of Meritorious Service. Diligence has marked
Ken's 37 years of service to the MAA at every level from local arrangements
chair for sectional meetings to the presidency of the Association. He is known
to everyone as a gifted mathematics educator, as an inspired leader who, with
wisdom and wit, has led the Association through challenging times, and for his
tireless attention to the kind of detail that promotes efficacy in a large and
complex organization.
Professor
Ross first served the PNW section as local arrangements chairman for the
national August 1984 meetings held in Eugene and has continued as a counselor
and informal member of the executive committee ever since. He was local
arrangements chairman also for the sectional AMS-MAA meeting held in June 1994.
On the national level Ken has been a member (sometimes ex officio) of the Local
Arrangements Committee for every national meeting from 1984 through 1993. Most
notably he has served the Association as Associate Secretary, Secretary, and
President and as a member of the Board of Governors continuously since 1984.
Ken has served on many committees within the Association covering issues such
as meetings and membership, awards and prizes, publications and editorial
policy, and myriad governance issues such as Finance, Bylaws, and the Executive
Committees. One of his most notable contributions was his diplomatic\ and
intelligent leadership as chair of the MAA Response Group on the NCTM
Standards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Response from Professor Ross
I truly appreciate and am honored that
the Pacific Northwest Section has selected me for this award. I am also a bit
embarrassed. On at least two occasions the section wanted to give this award to
Ivan Niven and asked me what I thought. I said, "No, this is really an
award designed to honor the unsung heroes of the sections who may not be widely
known in the MAA. Their local efforts make the MAA strong." No one asked
my opinion this time! Ivan was a great champion of the Pacific Northwest
Section who certainly deserved this award and I would like to share it,
spiritually, with him today. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my
colleagues and friends in the Pacific Northwest and thank them again for the
honor.
2006 Marjorie Enneking, Portland
State University
It is a pleasure to nominate Marj
Enneking for the MAA’s Certificate of Meritorious Service. Marj Enneking has a long history of loyal and
helpful service to the Pacific Northwest Section of the MAA. She was Vice Chair of four-year colleges from
1980-1981, section Chair from 1983-1985, and section Governor from
2000-2003. She served the section well
in all of these important leadership roles.
She is a very active participant at section meetings and her presence at
these annual events takes many forms.
She’s led panel discussions on topics from “Issues in K-12 Education” to
“Family Issues” and spoken about the importance of universal participation in
preparation of future teachers. After
her time in Washington D.C. as an NSF Program Director, she shared with the
section much valuable information by leading a minicourse on writing grant
proposals. We know from direct
experience that Marj’s advice, encouragement, and grant-writing wisdom has
helped our section in obtaining NSF funds for curriculum improvement. There are undoubtedly many in the section who
owe her a round of heartfelt applause.
She was also
supportive of our section NExT during its early years. As a consultant, she spent valuable time
talking with our new NExT fellows and encouraging them in their academic plans
and her active participation at our meetings was always appreciated.
As her
voluminous service record and accomplishments are of the highest order, the
Pacific Northwest Section is proud to nominate Marj Enneking for the MAA's
Certificate of Meritorious Service.
Award for Distinguished Teaching of
Mathematics
1992 André
Yandl, Seattle University
1993 Jack
Robertson, Washington State University
1994 Millie
Johnson, Western Washington State University
1995 Richard
M. Koch, University of Oregon
1996 Janet
Ray, Seattle Central Community College
1997 Brian
Wick, University of Alaska - Anchorage
1999 Ping-Tung
Chang, Matanuska-Susitna College, University of Alaska-Anchorage
2001 Bruce
Lind and Ron VanEnkevort, University of Puget Sound
2002 Andrew
Chang-Fung Liu, University of Alberta**
** Andy
Liu was awarded the national Haimo Teaching Award in January 2004
2003 Steven
A. Bleiler, Portland State University
2004 Douglas
F. Mooers, Whatcom Community College
2005 Chris
Meyers, Pacific Lutheran University
2006 James
A. Morrow, University of Washington**
** James
Morrow was awarded the national Haimo Teaching Award in January 2008
2007 Duane
DeTemple, Washington State University
2008 No
Award for Distinguished Teaching of Mathematics.
1992 André Yandl, Seattle University
The
citation honoring Dr. Yandl appeared in the Spring 1992 newsletter and was
written by Ivan Niven. The central
paragraph is:
A
member of the mathematics department at Seattle University for thirty-six
years, Yandl is acclaimed by his colleagues in the Seattle area as a devoted,
enthusiastic, and hard-working teacher.
He was the first recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award by the
Associated Students of his institution.
The students, including majors outside mathematics, are impressed with
his interest in getting them to appreciate mathematical ideas. He arrives at the Student Union at 7:00 a.m.
to answer questions on mathematics for present and former students. His students comment on his practicality in
his approach to mathematics, as well as his sense of humor. One student wrote that "he was pretty
funny, even when he wasn't trying to be."
In a recent survey of all former mathematics majors in the department of
mathematics at Seattle University, a significant number of alumni stated that
courses taught by Dr. Yandl were ones that were most beneficial in their
professional lives, and that his support and encouragement were important to
their professional development. He has
encouraged the gifted students to continue on to the Ph.D. degree. His students have earned doctorates at
various universities, including Stanford, Wisconsin and Princeton, as well as
the Universities of Washington and Oregon in the Northwest.
1993 Jack Robertson, Washington State
University
The
second sectional Award for Distinguished was presented to Jack Robertson at
Washington State University. The award
was announced in the Spring 1993 issue of the section newsletter. Here are some excerpts:
Jack
M. Robertson of Washington State University received the section’s 1993
Distinguished Teaching Award and recognizes him for sustained excellence in
mathematics instruction over twenty-eight years at the college and high school
levels. Robertson’s numerous
contributions include the direction of NSF-funded summer institutes for
secondary teachers and development of major curriculum materials for high
school and college. The institutes have
helped secondary teachers expand their knowledge base and earn advanced
degrees. Robertson went to WSU in 1964
after completing his doctorate at the University of Utah. He has served as president of the Washington
State Mathematics Council, member of the MAA Placement Exam Committee, and
member of the Research Advisory Committee of the National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics. In addition, he has been
a consultant on instructional content to school districts as far away as Hawaii
and Texas. Robertson’s contributions to
teaching excellence are broad and deep.
He has developed and used pioneering teaching techniques worldwide,
including Australia and New Zealand. He
has presented concepts such as “fair division” in settings ranging from first
grade classrooms through sponsorship of Ph.D. dissertations. On the “Jim French Radio Talk Show” in
Seattle, he talked for an hour explaining the problems underlying fair
representation and apportionment. In
1982 and 1983 Robertson was chosen to present the mathematics component of an
institute funded by the Council of Energy Resource Tribes for students from a
number of Native American high schools across the country. His presentations of solid material to a
unique audience were highly successful and stand out, in the opinion of the
directors of the institute, as one of the institute’s major successes.
1994 Millie Johnson, Western
Washington State University
At
the 1994 Eugene meeting, the third sectional Distinguished Teaching Award was
presented to Millie Johnson of Western Washington University. A full report appears in the Fall 1994 issue
of the section newsletter. Here are some
comments from one student:
Everyone
encounters a few precious experiences in their lifetime that permanently shift
the course of their lives. I experienced
one such shift in Millie Johnson’s calculus class. ... What brought on this change in
perspective? The answer lies not in the
specific material that we covered in class, but in this remarkable woman whose
innovative teaching methods demanded that we not only skim the surface of the
subject, learning the rules and formulas, but that we dive into the material,
investigating the “what’s” and the “why’s” and, perhaps most importantly,
learning the joys of mathematical investigation itself.
1995 Richard M. Koch, University of
Oregon
At
the 1995 Walla Walla meeting, Richard M. Koch of the University of Oregon was
presented the fourth sectional Distinguished Teaching Award. An article is in the Fall 1995 issue of the
section newsletter. Here are some
excerpts:
So
what makes his teaching so great? First,
animation! This guy is so excited about opening the doors
to the beauty of mathematics that students fight to be in his classroom. Second, unfailing Respect for Students. He
never assumes students are dumb if they ask naive or elementary questions. Rather he sees questions as opportunities to
travel with students on a road to reveal more and more mathematics.
1996 Janet Ray, Seattle Central
Community College
The
section’s fifth Distinguished Teaching Award was presented to Janet Perry Ray
of Seattle Central Community College.
The citation, which was written by Elaine Deutschman at the Oregon
Institute of Technology, appeared in the Spring 1996 issue of the section
newsletter. A key paragraph is the
following.
Janet
has been a full-time mathematics instructor at SCCC since 1966, participating
at all levels of the curriculum from developmental mathematics to differential
equations. Students praise her
innovative approaches to mathematical concepts, her respect for them regardless
of their mathematical prowess, and her high standards for student work. Her colleagues speak of her as inspirational,
generous with materials and ideas she’s developed, and tireless in her search
for new ways to help students learn. She
enjoys a great deal of goodwill amongst mathematics educators in the northwest
and nationally.
1997 Brian Wick, University of Alaska
– Anchorage
The
section’s sixth Distinguished Teaching Award was presented to Brian Wick of the
University of Alaska – Anchorage. In
1972, Dr. Wick was the first professor of mathematics hired by the
institution. The citation includes the
following.
Dr.
Wick’s abilities as an instructor have drawn accolades from students who
describe him as “stimulating as well as motivating.” He is credited with having been “personally
responsible for many students’ decisions to pursue a career in
mathematics.” In the land of the “Last
Frontier” students have encountered a fellow traveler in the educational arena
who believes that there is no final frontier but rather infinite frontiers to
explore and discover together.
1999 Ping-Tung Chang,
Matanuska-Susitna College, University of Alaska-Anchorage
The
section’s seventh Distinguished Teaching Award was presented to Professor
Ping-Tung Chang of Matanuska-Susitna College, University of
Alaska-Anchorage. It is possible that
this is the first such sectional award in the country where the winner was
nominated by students.
For
most of his more than thirty years of teaching mathematics Professor Chang has
taken a special interest in the challenge of communicating mathematics to the
widest possible audience. He has
published papers on teacher preparation and strategies for dealing with math
anxiety. Ten years ago when he went to
the Mat-Su branch as the only full-time math faculty member, he had to confront
the full spectrum of this challenge.
Professor Chang became well-known among the elementary and secondary
mathematics teachers of the area. In
addition to promoting a Math Club at the Mat-Su branch, he inspired the club to
serve as tutors for secondary students.
Professor Chang is widely praised for the support and encouragement he
provides to students whether they are working at the remedial level or
preparing for advanced studies. He is
known to be available for help from early to late and even on Saturdays and
Sundays. Perhaps the most dramatic
indication of the respect won by his efforts is the fact that his nomination
for the distinguished teaching award was prepared by the Mat-Su math club.
2001 Bruce Lind and Ron VanEnkevort,
University of Puget Sound
The
section's eighth Distinguished Teaching Award was presented to two professors
at the University of Puget Sound, Ronald L. Van Enkevort and R. B. (Bruce)
Lind. Here is the citation for this teaching award.
Bruce
Lind and Ron VanEnkevort of the University of Puget Sound are the co-winners of
the 2001 Distinguished Teaching Award for the PNW section of MAA. Lind and
VanEnkevort received their awards at the closing banquet of this year's PNW-MAA
section meeting at Seattle Pacific University.
Bruce
Lind received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1972 and began his
teaching career when he joined the faculty of UPS. His wide-ranging activities
at UPS include running the statistics program (including preparing
undergraduates for the actuarial exams), and supporting the Academic Challenge
program, which encourages disadvantaged area youth to pursue a college
education by providing summer activities in science and mathematics on the UPS
campus.
Ron
VanEnkevort began teaching as a high school teacher in the Tri-Cities area. He
earned a Ph.D. in Number Theory from Oregon State University and joined UPS in
1971. One of VanEnkevort's passions is the preparation of future elementary and
secondary teachers.
Both Lind and VanEnkevort
have served as department chair during times of fast growth and new programs in
mathematics at UPS. Their support for summer student research projects, the
development of the computerscience curriculum, and their support for other faculty
at SPU have earned them then lasting respect of their colleagues. Lind and
VanEnkevort will each retire at the end of this academic year.
2002 Andrew Chang-Fung Liu,
University of Alberta
Andy Liu was awarded the
national Haimo Teaching Award in January 2004
At the national
meeting in Phoenix, in January 2004, Andy Liu received the national MAA Debbie
Haimo Teaching Award. Here is the
citation.
Andrew Liu’s
popularity as a teacher reflects the enormous energy he expends on teaching,
his ability to make mathematics fun, his uncanny sense fo good problems, and
his personal interest in his students.
His outstanding reputation as consummate mathematics educator is
documented by two teaching awards from his own University of Alberta, two
Canadian national teaching awards, a 3M Teaching Fellowship, and the David
Hilbert International award for promotion of mathematics learning from the
World Federation of Mathematics Competitions.
At Alberta, he
designed a unique course in discrete mathematics in which students must solve
puzzles from D. Shasha’ “The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco,” supplemented by
Liu’s own “Professor Scarlet’s Notebook.”
Once they understand a puzzle solution,
the mathematics that underlies the solution is developed. This challenging course has grown from a
single class of 20 to two sections topping 110 students. He maintains close ties with colleagues in
the Faculty of Education (he holds a certificate in elementary teaching as well
as a Ph.D. in mathematics), and designed their course required for all students
majoring in elementary education.
Andy’s desire to
excite students about mathematics takes many forms. In Edmonton, he is a popular speaker in
schools, has organized math fairs, and directed summer mathematics camps. For years he has drawn groups of enthusiastic
junior high students to his free weekly Saturday Math Club. He lures them with tantalizing problems (many
original and unsolved) and encourages their own ingenuity in solving them. Locally, nationally, and internationally, he
is a devoted supporter of mathematics competitions, serving as coach and leader
for Putnam and IMO teams, chair of the Problem Section of the IMO, and
vice-president of the international Mathematics Tournament of the Towns.
Andy gladly shares
his ideas in teaching, his problems, and interesting student solutions (which
are frequently published in journals).
He maintains informal mailing lists, has served as editor for two
volumes of articles prepared for teachers of gifted high school students, and
has collected 16 published articles by his young Saturday Math Club students in
the S.M.A.R.T. “Analogy” to share with teachers.
For his remarkable teaching on so many
fronts, it is a great pleasure to award Andy Liu the Deborah and Franklin Tepper
Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.
2003 Steven A. Bleiler, Portland
State University
Here
is the citation for his award. Steve Bleiler is the quintessential
teacher. He attracts, inspires, and
nurtures students at all levels. He is
an enthusiastic ambassador to the high school, an inspiring instructor in the
classroom lighting the fire of learning, and a guide to the graduate students
who set out on mathematical journeys of exploration. Steve Bleiler is a natural speaker. He is an
engaging performer whose wit and delivery captures audiences and leaves them
with a sense of wonder for the beauty of mathematics. He is just as comfortable talking about the
topology of horse saddles to groups of high school students in rural Oregon as
he is talking about more arcane topics in geometric topology to an audience of
professional mathematicians at an international congress. A performer, educator, inspiring force, and
enthusiastic colleague, Steve Bleiler embodies the love of mathematics that
drives all of us.
2004 Douglas F. Mooers, Whatcom
Community College
Doug Mooers concentrates on student
needs, invites independent thinking, and stimulates curiosity in
mathematics. Many students who attend
community colleges must overcome tremendous barriers to reach their educational
goals; for some, it takes a special instructor to awaken their confidence and
build their knowledge – Doug Mooers makes a difference in many of their
lives. Doug holds students to high academic
standards while he models a strong, positive work ethic. The students express it best: “Doug brings a ray of light to the subject of
math by his kindness, knowledge, commitment, and understanding.” “I am a returning student after dropping out
of high school twelve years ago with terrible math anxiety. But now, I love coming to class. His teaching methods and sense of humor are
great. When it comes to test time, I
feel very prepared.” “Doug creates an
ideal atmosphere for learning the difficult subject of calculus. Simply put – he is the best math teacher I’ve
had in all the mathematics courses I’ve taken over the years.” “As an International student, I have trouble
understanding some teachers. Mr. Mooers
makes learning easy. His lecture is clear
and precise. He leads us into the heart
of the problem and explains every step.
But, the best part of the lecture is his humor. He uses different accents (i.e., British, tax
collector, rascal,...) to attract our attention and ease the atmosphere. His way of teaching is invincible.”
Doug has distinguished himself as a
master teacher, an innovator, a leader among faculty, and an inspiration to
many people. The broad scope of Doug
Mooer’s influence is astonishing. While
his teaching effectiveness and influence beyond Whatcom Community College is
well-documented, the excitement and curiosity about mathematics that he
generates among his students is truly inspirational.
2005 Chris Meyer, Pacific Lutheran
University
Chris has a solid teaching record that
has spanned more than 30 years at PLU.
He has led seminars on pedagogy within the department and often spoken
on pedagogical issues. He is known for
using interesting and innovative material in his lectures. He often makes "gadgets" that
demonstrate points in lecture. For
example, he once built a transparent water tray that he could put on an
overhead projector to demonstrate wave action.
He often uses visual aids many of which he makes. He has produced his own materials when he
finds available texts lacking, including a book (unpublished) on matrix algebra
and substantial material on logic and proof.
His contributions outside PLU can be seen in the impact of his students
on the community. For example, one is
dean of the school of science at a local community college.
2006 James (Jim) A. Morrow,
University of Washington
(excerpts from “Mathematical Matters,”
February 2007, article by Yves Nievergelt)
Jim is an MAA member who has been for several decades a world-class
researcher in pure complex analysis, a world-class researcher in applied
impedance tomography, and a world-class teacher and mentor of young students
from high school pupils to undergraduates and doctoral candidates in
mathematics.
With
a Ph.D. from Stanford in 1967, Jim taught two years at Berkeley and then was
appointed at the University of Washington in 1969. A decade later, two junior colleagues, John
Sylvester and Gunther Uhlmann, had just published a groundbreaking result on
smooth impedance computed tomography in the Annals
of Mathematics. In this context,
with a grant from the National Science Foundation, and at first with his
colleague Edward (Ed) B. Curtis, Jim started a summer Research Experiences for
Undergraduates (REU) program on discrete impedance computed tomography, a
problem which would be more suitable to students, but about which one knew next
to nothing: can one determine all the resistors hidden inside a network, from
potentials and currents on the network surface only? Starting with the program’s first summer in
1988, outstanding participants include Thaddeus Edens, David Ingerman (now an
Assistant Professor at MIT), Edith Mooers, Amanda Mueller, Olga Simek (now a
professor at Kent State University) and Laura Smithies.
By
the turn of the millenium, new results found by participating undergraduates
were presented at the International Congress on Applied Mathematics at
Edinburgh, Scotland, and edited into the definitive book on discrete inverse
problems. Demonstrating the influence of
Jim’s REU program abroad, 2005 participant Eliana Hechter received a Rhodes
Scholarship to pursue a doctorate in mathematics at Oxford, where 2002
participant Jeffrey Giansiricusa is also completing his dissertation in
algebraic topology.
Besides
leading his REU program alone, Jim also prepares students for the world-wide
Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM).
From 2002-2005, Jim has advised two teams a year. In 2002, one team won an Outstanding Award
and the SIAM Award for Problem A; the other team won a Meritorious Award for
Problem B (among a total of 525 teams).
In 2003, one team won an Outstanding Award and MAA Award for Problem A;
the other won an Outstanding Award and the INFORMS Award for Problem B (among
492 teams). In 2004, one team won an
Outstanding Award for Problem A; the other team won a Meritorious Award for
Problem B (among a total of 600 teams).
As an omen of 2005, Jim’s very young colleague Rekha Thomas advised a
third team, who won a Meritorious Award.
Jim also helped coached a team advised by Rekha Thomas. That team won an Outstanding Award and the
INFORMS Award.
Since
1994, Jim has also been organizing single handedly a spring break Mathday which
attracts 1200 high school students to campus.
In 2005, under Jim’s leadership, they come not only from the Pacific
Northwest, but from as far away as the Republic of South Africa. Jim now also organizes a Summer Institute
which brings together 24 high school students from the United States and Canada
for six weeks at the University of Washington.
In recognition of his international teaching reputation, in 2005 Jim won
the Education Prize from the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences at
the University of British Columbia. Both
the worldwide success of undergraduates participating in his REU programs and
MCM teams, and the more than one-thousand high school students attending his
Mathday and Summer Institute each year, show that Jim is an extremely caring
and effective teacher of students from all walks of life. Such a relentless dedication and stunning
success with students at all levels is exceptional for a researcher who has
worked with the world’s best and famous to publish results of lasting
influence. For these accomplishments,
James Allen Morrow received the 2006 Distinguished Teaching Award from the
Pacific Northwest Section of the MAA.
2007 Duane DeTemple, Washington State
University
Duane DeTemple
epitomizes the highest level of excellence in the pursuit of mathematics
instruction. He is not only an
exceptional instructor in the classroom, but also develops new courses and
programs of study, is a popular speaker
for educators, contributes generously in service to both Washington State
University (WSU) and the mathematics education profession, and is the author of
numerous publications, including a text that is used widely in pre-service
teacher preparation programs throughout the United States and Canada.
DeTemple has
been a member of the mathematics faculty at WSU since 1970. At WSU, he is a leader in course and program
development and innovation. His
contributions to mathematics education include:
Designed and implemented the honors sequence of mathematics
courses. Developed a Masters of Science
with Teaching Emphasis for graduate students planning a career in secondary or
community college mathematics instruction.
Developed a Diversity Resources Handbook highlighting activities
emphasizing multicultural mathematics topics.
Co-authored (with Kimberly Vincent and Verna Adams) the book “Activity
Based Instruction in Elementary Mathematics,” used extensively in WSU
pre-service education courses.
Co-founded (with Jack Robertson) the Seminar in Combinatorial Geometry
that has been offered since 1983.
Service to both
the state and his profession are exemplified by the following examples: Advisory Board Member, High School
Mathematics from an Advanced Standpoint.
State Coordinator, American High School Mathematics Contest, 1992-1995. Chairman, Pacific Northwest Section, MAA,
1977-1978.
In addition to
his service work, Duane works with WSU undergraduates in many capacities
outside of his normal teaching duties.
He mentors undergraduate research projects; he takes WSU secondary
mathematics majors to the annual Northwest Math Conference; and he advises
future high school mathematics teachers.
Duane is also an informal mentor to less senior faculty members. He includes them in projects, funds travel to
professional meetings through his grants, and supports their initiatives. Furthermore, Duane stays current with
research on mathematics teaching and learning and is usually one of the first
to turn research-based innovations into common classroom practice.
In conclusion,
Duane DeTemple is a deserving recipient of this award. He has quietly, but effectively, served WSU,
the state and his profession for the past 36 years through course and program
innovations, service and publications, and mentoring students and junior
colleagues.
2008 No Award for Distinguished Teaching of
Mathematics.
2009 Thomas P. Dick, Oregon State
University
Thomas P. Dick has been a member of MAA
for 33 years and has been on the mathematics faculty of Oregon State University
since 1986. He currently serves as the
Coordinator of Collegiate Mathematics Education and has oversight
responsibilities for all mathematics content preparation programs for both
preservice and inservice teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school
levels as well as leadership for the graduate programs preparing mathematics
education specialists in college mathematics teaching. Dick is also Faculty
Director of the OSU Mathematics Learning Center, which provides drop-in
assistance to literally thousands of OSU students in all freshman and sophomore
level mathematics courses.
In 1998, Dick founded OSU's MATH EXCEL
program. MATH EXCEL is based on the Emerging Scholars Program (first developed
at University of California, Berkeley and the University of Texas, Austin and
now in place at several other colleges around the country). MATH EXCEL provides an opportunity for
motivated students in introductory math courses to work together cooperatively
on challenging problems in a workshop setting.
Dick's research interests include
undergraduate mathematics education. From 1995-2002 Dick served on the College
Board's Advanced Placement Calculus Test Development Committee and was chair of
the committee from 1998-2002. Dick has
also served as the chair of the College Board/Mathematical Association of
America's Joint Committee of Mutual Concerns.
In 2008 he was elected to the Oregon Mathematics Education Hall of Fame
in recognition of a lifetime of achievement and dedication to mathematics
education in Oregon.
Thomas Dick has been the recipient of
several university teaching and advising honors while at Oregon State
University. In particular, he received
the Ritchie Distinguished Professor Award, the Carter Award for outstanding and
inspirational teaching, the Boedtker award for academic advising, and the Horne
Award for sustained excellence in teaching.