INDIANA SECTION OF THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS

CITATION TO

ANDREW RICH

The Indiana Section Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of Section members who have been identified as extraordinary teachers in the mathematical sciences and whose teaching effectiveness has been shown to have had influence beyond their own institutions.

This year’s recipient has been active in his department, university, and profession for over three decades.  He has transformed his department by regularly focusing on engaging students and colleagues in mathematics both inside and outside the classroom.  He helps everyone develop their mathematical abilities and problem-solving skills.

He teaches at all levels: from general education courses, to courses that serve as a gateway to the major, and upper-level courses.  In all levels, he creates a welcoming environment and an encouraging atmosphere in the classroom.   His teaching style is both challenging and supportive, and he is able to present abstract concepts so even first-year students can understand them.

He regularly has the best teaching evaluations in his department, and often the highest in the university, while at the same time holding students to a high standard.  Former students say he pushed them to understand mathematics at a much deeper level, and they credit his enthusiasm for working with students for developing their mathematical maturity and curiosity, and for inspiring them to become mathematicians themselves.

He has been a driving force for pedagogical change in his department.  He took the lead in instituting classroom technologies such as wikis, student response systems, and online homework systems.  He also transitioned to competency-based learning, and he is always willing to help other professors learn more about this approach.  He has developed new courses for the department, and he has transformed its curriculum.

His teaching does not stop at the classroom door.  From coaching mathematics teams and advising the math club, to organizing the department seminar, creating a Math Problem of the Week, and volunteering for events for high school students, he has taken a leading role in his department for providing opportunities for both majors and non-majors outside the classroom.

This year’s Indiana Section of the Mathematical Association of America Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics goes to Andrew Rich of Manchester University.

William Turner, Chair, Distinguished Teaching Award Selection Committee

Joshua Holden, Section Chair,

Indiana Section of the MAA

April 9, 2022