Distinguished Teaching Award

Award Recipient

The MAA Michigan Section Distinguished Teaching Award Committee is pleased to announce Denise Lee of University of Michigan as the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award.

Denise has dedicated nearly four decades to supporting and advancing inclusive mathematics education at the University of Michigan. She has overseen the mathematics component in the Bridge Scholars Program, part of the Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP), which included teaching, supervising instructors, coordinating the curriculum, and supporting incoming students who benefit from additional academic preparation. Since 1993 she has also taught CSP calculus and precalculus courses designed to support students from underrepresented or academically underprepared backgrounds. She also contributed for many years to the M-STEM Academies, helping build supportive communities for incoming students interested in STEM fields.

Throughout her career, Denise has focused on expanding opportunities in mathematics for students historically underrepresented in STEM. In addition to her university teaching, she has taught in outreach and enrichment programs for high school students and has mentored many instructors and students. Her teaching emphasizes active learning, collaboration, and extensive individual support, and she is widely recognized for her commitment to student success. Her contributions have been honored with the John Matlock Cornerstone Award from graduating African American students at the University of Michigan, inclusion in the Women of a New Tribe exhibit at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and several other teaching appreciation awards.

Award Nominations

Nominations are being solicited for the annual MAA Michigan Section Distinguished Teaching Award. The Distinguished Teaching Award Committee strongly urges departments or individuals to nominate deserving faculty for this award. We recognize that there are many outstanding teachers in the section, but we can consider only those who are nominated. The committee particularly welcomes nominations of individuals from groups (or type of institutions) that have historically been under-represented in mathematics or in the list of previous recipients of the award on the Section's history webpage.

Please send an electronic copy of the completed nomination form, which is available at the Section's website, to Victor Piercey <piercev1@ferris.edu>. The awards committee will accept nominations until February 28, 2027. Please use "Michigan DTA Nomination" in the subject line. The Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching and is presented at the annual meeting of the Michigan Section. The recipient of this award will also, upon receipt of additional supporting material, become the Michigan section nominee for the national MAA Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. Current and past recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award are listed on the Section's history webpage. Anyone may make a nomination (of someone else; self-nomination is not permitted), but nominations from chairs in departments of mathematical sciences are especially solicited. To be eligible for the award, a nominee must:

• Be a college or university teacher who currently teaches a mathematical science at least half-time during the academic year in a public or private college or university (from two-year college teaching through teaching at the PhD level) in Michigan. Those on approved leave (sabbatical or otherwise) during the academic year in which they are nominated qualify if they fulfilled the requirements in the previous year.
• Have at least seven years experience in teaching the mathematical sciences.
• Have had teaching effectiveness that can be documented.
• Have had influence in their teaching beyond their own institution.
• Foster curiosity and generate excitement about mathematics in their students.
• Be a member of the Michigan MAA section (i.e. members of the MAA with a Michigan mailing addresses or members of the section by choice).

Distinguished Service Award

Recipient

The MAA Michigan Section Distinguished Teaching Award Committee is pleased to announce Stephen DeBacker, University of Michigan of University of Michigan as the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Service Award.

Stephen joined the mathematics faculty at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor in 2002. In the over two decades of service to the department, Stephen has created multiple programs and events for students of all ages, both on campus and in the wider Ann Arbor community. Along with programs for UofM undergrads and the larger mathematical community, Stephen has also focused on programs for teachers and pre-college students. A short list of outreach programs Stephen has founded and/or facilitates includes: Math Corps at UofM, a large summer program for middle school students in Detroit and Ypsilanti; Michigan Math Circle for middle and high school students; Wayne County Teacher’s Math Circle; Math Tuesdays and Thursdays in Ypsi program, visiting Ypsilanti Community Middle School twice a week to do math with the 7th graders; Super Saturdays, a weekly Zoom event for kids. Undergrads, grads, and postdocs volunteer to help us in this program too. In service to the Section, Stephen was a grader for the MMPC for many years.

Thank you, Stephen, for your decades of service to bringing mathematics to the next generation, and encouraging high school and college math students to work with these up-and-coming math scholars.

Nominations

Nominations are being solicited for the annual MAA Michigan Section Distinguished Service Award. Nominees should demonstrate service such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Be recognized as providing documentable volunteer service to entities including, but not limited to, their department or institution, the Mathematical Association of America or other national mathematical or math education organizations, the Michigan Section of the MAA, or other Michigan based mathematical or math education organizations, the Mathematics or math education profession more generally.
• Service can be in many categories outside the nominee's required duties or promotion requirements, including, but not limited to, governance and administration, mentoring of faculty or students, organization of activities, programs, outreach, or conferences for members of the profession, students, or the community.
• Nominees must be current members of the MAA.

Please send nominations to Amy Shell-Gellasch <ashellge@emich.edu>. The awards committee will accept nominations until February 28, 2026. Please use "Michigan DSA Nomination" in the subject line. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes service to the Section and is presented at the annual meeting of the Michigan Section. Current and past recipients of the Distinguished Service Award are listed on the Section's history webpage.

Certificate of Meritorious Service

The Certificate of Meritorious Service recognizes service at the national and section level and is presented once every five years at the annual meetings of the Michigan Section. Current and past recipients of the Certificate of Meritorious Service are listed on the Section's history webpage.

Ron Mosier Memorial Award for Student Presentations

This award is presented to the student (or students) with the most outstanding talk at the annual meeting of the MAA Michigan Section. Ron Mosier was a mathematician whose contributions to the subject spanned both pure and applied areas, from linear lattices to camshaft design. He loved mathematics, and he always was ready to listen, talk, or discuss any topic related to it. He was a regular attendee at the annual meeting, and one of the things he most enjoyed was the student talks. To honor Ron's memory, the Michigan Section instituted this prize in his name. Current and past recipients of the Ron Mosier Memorial Award are listed on the Section's history webpage.