Nation’s Top Mathematics Educators Honored 

Washington, D.C. - This year’s top mathematics educators were honored at for their dedication to teaching the next generation of quantitative thinkers with the mathematical skills to tackle real-world problems at the Mathematical Association of America MathFest in Chicago on July 27. The awards honor mathematics teaching and the authors of educational materials used in the classroom.

“The MAA values dedicated mathematics education to advance the understanding of mathematics and its impact on our world. The educators honored today set the standard for inspiring and teaching the next generation of mathematicians,” said Michael Pearson, executive director of the MAA.

Each year the MAA honors beginning college or university faculty whose teaching has been highly effective and successful in teaching undergraduate mathematics. This year the Henry L. Alder Award goes to Steven Klee, a professor at Seattle University, who is known for seamlessly incorporating undergraduate research into his classroom curriculum and mentoring student researchers who go on to publish and present their work. The second Alder Award recipient is Mary Beisiegel, professor at Oregon State University, for her superb teaching, cultivating engaging classrooms, and her work building up professional development among her teaching peers.

The 2017 Mary P. Dolciani Award winner is Tatiana Shubin, a professor at San Jose State University, for her devotion to mathematical education at the K-12 student level. Shubin has dedicated her life to bringing Math Circles to new communities, particularly indigenous populations. Her work developing the Navajo Math Circles and the Math Teachers’ Circle Network are just two of her distinctive projects.

The Daniel Solow Author’s Award is a brand new recognition for author(s) of undergraduate mathematics teaching materials. The first ever recipient of this award is Ted Sundstrom, a professor at Grand Valley State University, for his textbook Mathematical Reasoning: Writing and Proof. Sundstrom is honored for the book’s impact on undergraduate education in mathematics as a resource for educators to help bridge the transition between mathematics courses.