
Distinguished Teaching Awards
About
The MAA has two awards for distinguished college or university teaching of mathematics: the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award (instituted in 1991) and, for beginning college or university teachers of mathematics, the Henry L. Alder Award (instituted in 2003).
The recipient of the Golden Section Teaching Award (General) is nominated by the Section for the MAA Haimo Award. The recipient of the Golden Section New Teaching Award is nominated by the Section for the MAA Alder Award if the recipient holds a Ph.D.
It is important that the MAA Golden Section recognizes those among us for extraordinarily successful teaching of mathematics (in the broadest sense, and not limited to the classroom), for influencing the teaching of mathematics beyond his or her own institution, and for fostering curiosity and generating excitement about mathematics among students.
This is because, being not only practitioners of mathematics, but also being stewards of our discipline, we need to ensure the successful future of mathematics by bringing up new generations of outstanding mathematicians.
Therefore, please take time to reflect on the experienced and new teachers of mathematics that you know, and nominate those whom you think are worthy of the Teaching Award. Thank you.
Nomination Process
The Golden Section has a two-step nomination process that consists of (i) the initial nomination, and (ii) the full nomination.
The initial nomination is very simple and requires the filling out of a one-page form together with a one-page summary that supports the nomination.
After screening the initial nominations, the Teaching Award Committee will invite the nominators of clearly competitive nominations to submit full nominations.
Members of the Golden Section are encouraged to nominate their exceptional colleagues for the two Golden Section Distinguished Teaching Awards (New Teacher and General).
Nominate
Past Recipients
Golden Section Teaching Award (General):
2025: Yesim Demiroglu, California State University, Sacramento
2024: Jakob Kotas, Stanford University
2023: Monique Chyba, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
2022: Jesús R. Oliver, California State University, East Bay
2021: Nicholette C. Meshkat, Santa Clara University
2020: Elaine Kasimatis, California State University, Sacramento
Winner of national Haimo Award
2019: Federico Ardila, San Francisco State University
Winner of national Haimo Award
2018: Frank Farris, Santa Clara University
2017: Jesús De Loera, University of California, Davis
2016: Serkan Hoşten, San Francisco State University
2015: Michelle Manes, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
2014: Duane Kouba, University of California, Davis
2013: Steven Blasberg, West Valley College
2012: Matthias Beck, San Francisco State University
Winner of national Haimo Award
2011: Joseph Conrad, Solano Community College
2010: Dennis C. Smolarski., Santa Clara University
2009: Allan J. Rossman, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Winner of national Haimo Award
2008: John B. Thoo, Yuba College
2007: Willian Fisher, California State University, Chico
2006: Tatiana Shubin, San Jose State University
2005: Russell Merris, California State University, East Bay
2004: Gerald L. Alexanderson, Santa Clara University
Winner of national Haimo Award
2003: Peter Tannenbaum, California State University, Fresno
2002: Paul A. Zeitz, University of San Francisco
Winner of national Haimo Award
2001: Wade Ellis, Jr., West Valley College
2000: Evelyn Silvia, University of California, Davis
Winner of national Haimo Award
1999: Leonard F. Klosinski, Santa Clara University
Winner of national Haimo Award
1998: Donald C. Pfaff, University of Nevada, Reno
1997: Jean J. Pedersen, Santa Clara University
1996: G. Thomas Sallee, University of California, Davis
1995: Edward M. Landesman, University of California, Santa Cruz
Winner of national Haimo Award
1994: Jane Day, San Jose State University
1993: Paul Richard Halmos, Santa Clara University
Winner of national Haimo Award
1992: Gulbank Donald Chakerian, University of California, Davis
Golden Section New Teaching Award:
2023: Ariel Setniker, California State University Maritime Academy
2022: Andrea Arauza Rivera, California State University, East Bay
2021: Alison G. Lynch, California State University, Monterey Bay
2020: Kimberly Seashore, San Francisco State University
Winner of national Alder Award
2019: Jordan Schettler, San Jose State University
2018: Elizabeth Gross, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
2016: Martha Shott, Sonoma State University