Department History

 

Recognitions, awards, and grants

The department is proud of the fact that five of its members have been chosen to receive the campuses’ Outstanding Professor Award. This is more than any other department on campus.

Richard Gilbert, 1973   (deceased 1999)                                                                

Harris Shultz, 1988

David Pagni, 1992

Mario Martelli, 1996

Marty Bonsangue, 2011

Outstanding Professor Awardees who also received a system wide award include Dr’s Shultz and Pagni. (The system wide award has since been dropped). 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, 2008 Wins CSUF's Carol Barnes Award for Excellence in Teaching

Scott Annin, 2009 This was a national award: The Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning Faculty Member (MAA)
                                                                           
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.

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. Over the years, we have had many well – known speakers. The most notable are:
 
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

 

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.f