Edwards Receives Teaching Award
Richard "Abe" Edwards, mathematics education faculty member and Academic Specialist
in Lyman Briggs College (LBC) at MSU, has received the 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), Michigan section.
The award was presented at the annual meeting of MAA Michigan section, which was held on April 8th and 9th in Grand Rapids. Nominees for this award must be a college or university teacher in Michigan at least half-time, have at least 7 years of mathematics teaching experience, have documented teaching effectiveness, had influence in their teaching beyond their own institution, and last but not least, foster curiosity and generate excitement about mathematics in their students.
Abe was nominated by the Awards Committee of LBC, supported by Ryan Sweeder, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, and Kendra Cheruvelil, Dean of LBC.
“Michigan State has a long history of supporting high-quality scholarly teaching,
and I’m grateful to the MAA for recognizing such work," Abe commented. "I’m constantly
inspired by my colleagues who prioritize innovation and evidence-based educational
practices. Of course, none of this is possible without the hard work of our students,
and I’m thankful for their dedication and trust over the years.”
Abe will also become the Michigan section nominee for the national MAA Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.
The photograph, courtesy of MAA Michigan section, is of Abe Edwards (left) with his Distinguished Teaching award and Victor Piercey (right, from Ferris State University) with his Distinguished Service Award.
A 2016 graduate of the mathematics education doctoral program at MSU, Abe teaches a wide variety of mathematics classes and is currently exploring the benefits and constraints of teaching mathematics via primary source documents. In his own research, he studies the complex interplay between cultural norms, historical events, and mathematical developments. In addition, he directs an education abroad program in which students study the cultural history of mathematics in Florence, Paris, and London.
Congratulations, Abe!
