Professor John W. Petro of Western Michigan University and Lecturer Kalpana Godbole of Michigan Technological University were presented with the Michigan Section's Awards for Distinguished Service and for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics, respectively, at the banquet during the 1999 annual meeting last May in Ypsilanti.
Kalpana, shown here accepting the award, was cited for her direction of the First-year Mathematics Program and the summer bridge program, as well as for her abilities in the classroom. The citation given to her at the meeting is reproduced below. See the nomination request for information on nominating candidates for this year's award.
Award for
for
Distinguished College or University
Teaching of Mathematics
presented to
Kalpana Godbole
The Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America is pleased to announce that Kalpana Godbole of Michigan Technological University has been selected as the 1998-1999 recipient of the Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.
Comments from colleagues and students include the following:
"She is a gifted expositor who has the ability to explain complicated concepts in a crystal clear fashion. She goes the extra mile for the students, and they respond in kind." Al Baartmans, Mathematics Department Chair, MTU
"Her attention to detail and the results she produces are evidenced by the spectacular turnaround she produced in our summer pre-college program. She took a program with rapidly declining enrollments and in two years turned it into a showcase program." Allan Struthers, MTU Mathematics Faculty
"She is a lucid expositor and it is a real pleasure to listen to her. She loves mathematics and loves to talk about the issues that arise in teaching it." Donal O'Shea, Mt. Holyoke College
"The best instructors have the ability to make a subject appear to be easy. This skill takes hard work, the ability to accept feedback, and the courage to try novel techniques. All three are evident in Professor Godbole's performance." Vince Duperron and Marcia Sivek, MTU undergraduate students
"She is both a personal and professional role model. Few people have made as much difference in the lives of Michigan Tech students as Kalpana Godbole." Margaret Balachowski, MTU graduate student
The Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America is proud to be represented by dedicated teachers such as Kalpana Godbole.
John has served the Michigan Section as Chair, Governor, and Newsletter editor. His untiring dedication to the MAA, the Section, and the profession are evidenced in innumerable other activities, as well. The citation presented to him at the meeting is shown below.
CITATION
for
John W. Petro
for the
MICHIGAN SECTION
MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Distinguished Service Award
The Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America is extremely proud to recognize Professor John W. Petro as the 1999 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. We gratefully acknowledge with many thanks the substantial contributions he has made to the Michigan Section, to the Mathematical Association of America, and to the greater mathematical community.
Professor Petro has served two terms on the Section Executive Committee (1987-1991 and 1994-1998). During his first term he was Program Chair (1987-1988) and Chair (1988-1989). and during his second term he was Governor of the Michigan Section (1995-1998). John has served as Newsletter editor (1994-1997) and Section Archivist (1991-present) and has been a regular grader of the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition since he joined the Section in 1963. Also in service to the Section, he has been a member or chair of several committees, including the Nominating Committee, Student Chapter Committee, and Local Arrangements Committee. For many years John has directed symposia and workshops on matrix analysis and applications, college teaching, group theory, and Maple.
John presently serves as Chair of the Western Michigan University Department of Mathematics and Statistics. For the past decade John has been the advisor of the Kalamazoo Area Student Chapter of the MAA and Secretary of WMU's Pi Mu Epsilon chapter. A frequent speaker, John has made presentations at numerous colleges and universities, as well as at many Michigan Section, MCTM, NCTM, and MAA meetings. His service at the national level includes a six-year membership on the AMS-MAA-SIAM Joint Committee on Employment Opportunities (which he chaired in 1986-1987) and a four-year term as Chair of the Committee on MAA Departmental Liaisons (1995-1999).
For his many years of service, leadership, and continuing support, the Michigan Section proudly presents the
1999 Distinguished Service Award
to
Professor John W. Petro