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