Distinguished Teaching Award

Each year, the Mathematical Association of American (MAA) honors outstanding educators from each section with the MAA section award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. As of fall 2024, the name of this award will expand to honor Dr. Carol Crawford of the US Naval Academy, as her generous bequest supports this award being given yearly to one faculty member in each of the 29 sections of the MAA. Consider nominating a deserving candidate for this award.

2025 KYMAA Distinguished Teaching Award

Dhanuja Kasturiratna
Northern Kentucky University

Dr. Kasturiratna’s academic career began at Northern Kentucky University in August 2006. Dhanuja has focused much of his academic career developing courses to prepare students for the first two actuarial exams. The pass rates for taking these first two exams under his tutelage are over 90%. Department alumni are now employed at companies such as American Modern Insurance Group, Western & Southern, Cincinnati Insurance Group, JP Morgan Chase, and Willis Towers Watson.

Dr. Kasturiratna also has an impressive record of supporting students outside the classroom with undergraduate research projects. In fact, he and Dr. Lisa Holden shared the university-wide Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award in spring 2023. Dr. Kasturiratna’s support of students began very early in his career and has been a through line. To date, he has supervised (or co-supervised) 17 projects that have included 47 undergraduate students. Outcomes from these projects have led to 14 poster presentations and 14 oral presentations. Oral presentations have ranged from departmental colloquia to state/regional conferences to an invited presentation at a national mathematics meeting. Two undergraduates generated results leading to solo-authored publications in the SIAM Undergraduate Research Journal.