Ripon College mathematics professor wins state Distinguished Teaching Award in mathematics

Andrea Young, assistant professor of mathematical sciences, has won the Wisconsin Mathematical Association of America’s 2016 Distinguished Teaching Award.

The award will be presented at the annual section meeting April 22-23 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

The Wisconsin Section Distinguished Teaching Award was established in 1991 to emphasize the high importance that colleges and universities in Wisconsin place on teaching mathematics. Winning nominees must display extraordinary success in teaching mathematics. At most, one award is given per year. Young is the 20th recipient in the 25-year history of the award, and the first ever from Ripon College.

Young, who is in her fifth year as a member of the Mathematical Sciences Department, teaches a variety of courses at all levels. According to the nomination statement by Ripon College Associate Professor of Mathematics McKenzie Lamb, “The Mathematical Sciences Department is moving away from lecture and toward more student-centered approaches, and Andrea is leading this change.” Young uses active learning approaches such as flipped classrooms and inquiry-based learning to promote student engagement with the mathematical material. Lamb’s nomination statement goes on to say, “Since she arrived at Ripon, Andrea has worked with great energy and enthusiasm to promote student interest and participation in mathematics events.”

“Andrea Young exemplifies the Ripon College commitment to innovative teaching,” says Ed Wingenbach, vice president and dean of faculty. “Her example in the classroom, where she experiments fearlessly and successfully, her enthusiastic advocacy for imagining new possibilities for the college curriculum, and her widely shared publications on mathematics pedagogy have made her a leader on our campus and beyond. I am proud of her accomplishments and celebrate her enthusiasm for undergraduate education.”

“I am very honored to receive this recognition,” Young says. “My students and colleagues at Ripon College have been so supportive of my development as a teacher. This award is indicative of the commitment of our community to quality, innovative pedagogy.”