Department History
Recognitions & awards
The department is proud that members have been chosen to receive campus-wide awards, including the Carol Barnes Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, the Outstanding Professor Award, and the L. Donald Shields Excellence in Scholarship and Creativity Award. Outstanding Professor Awardees who also received a system-wide award include Shultz and Pagni. (The system wide award has since been dropped).
- Richard Gilbert, 1973 (Outstanding Professor)
- Harris Shultz, 1988 (Outstanding Professor)
- David Pagni, 1992 (Outstanding Professor)
- Mario Martelli, 1996 (Outstanding Professor)
- Scott Annin, 2008 (Carol Barnes Faculty Excellence in Teaching)
- Marty Bonsangue, 2011 (Outstanding Professor)
- Scott Annin, 2015 (Outstanding Professor)
- Cherie Ichinose, 2018 (Carol Barnes Faculty Excellence in Teaching)
- Sam Behseta, 2022 (Outstanding Professor)
- Bogdan Suceava, 2023 (L. Donald Shields Excellence in Scholarship and Creativity)
David Pagni received the Wang Award from the Trustees; this is the highest award that the Trustee’s award to a faculty member.
In addition, three faculty members have won awards from the Southern California section of the Mathematical Association of America for Distinguished Teaching
- Harris Shultz, 1992
- Mario Martelli, 1994
- Scott Annin, 2009 This was a national award: The Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning Faculty Member (MAA)
grants & Scholarship
We are also proud of the faculty’s record in scholarship. Department members have published more than 30 textbooks or research monographs and over 1500 publications in refereed journals. They have also given invited addresses in Sweden, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Cambodia, Kenya, Iran and throughout the US.
In 1996, David Pagni received a grant for systemic reform in the Santa Ana school system for a five year period totaling $6 million. Overall the Mathematics Department has obtained over $12 million total in Mathematics Education grants.
Over the years, we have had many well – known speakers visit our department. Notable speakers include:
- Ron Graham, Bell Labs and President of the American Mathematical Society
- Paul Halmos, well known author, speaker and former editor of the Mathematical Monthly
- Deborah Haimo, president of the Mathematical Association of America
- Constance Reid, distinguished author of mathematical biographies
- Jaime Escalante, nationally know high school teacher and hero of the movie “Stand and Deliver”
- Reuben Hirsch, well known author of books and articles about the mathematical experience
- Tom Apostle, well known textbook author and director of Project Mathematica!
- John Dossey, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- David Moore, well known author and President of the American Statistical Society
- Shelia Tobias, author of “Overcoming Mathematical Anxiety”
- Clarence Stephens, famous for producing highly successful students at SUNY Potsdam
- Uri Treisman, well known as a MacArthur fellow for his studies involving success in mathematics based on their ethnicity
- Javier Gonzalez, former California Teacher of the Year 1996
- Scott Malloy, former California Teacher of the Year 2001
- Ann Watkins, former President of the MAA
- Francis Su, former president of the Mathematical Association of America
We are also proud of our students’ accomplishments. At least 35 of our students have received PhD degrees and nearly 50% have received Master’s degrees. A large number are now teaching at local high schools or community colleges.
