Indiana Section of the Mathematical Association of America
Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics

Citation to

Daniel Maki

The Indiana Section Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics annually recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of Section members who have been identified as extraordinarily successful teachers in the mathematical sciences and whose teaching effectiveness has been shown to have had influence beyond their own institutions.

This year's recipient has had a long and truly distinguished career in classroom teaching, curriculum development, educational outreach, and service to his department and the mathematical community. He has displayed excellence in teaching at all levels from freshman service courses through mainstream graduate level mathematics courses. He has developed, organized, or participated in numerous curriculum-development and outreach programs, activities which have had an enormous impact on the quality of the educational experience for students at his home institution as well as on the quality of mathematics teaching at the elementary and high school levels throughout the state of Indiana . He is a recipient of his institution's Distinguished Teaching Award.

When students in a large mathematics service course were asked what they liked the most about the course, most of the responses spoke about our recipient: He "is the most effective math teacher I've ever had," "has a sense of humor and knows everything about this course," "related math to everyday life very well," and "was very excited to teach and wanted everyone to understand."

In the words of one of his recommenders, our recipient "has developed a cadre of very effective, high quality faculty in secondary schools around the state that are having a significant real impact on strengthening secondary teaching, curriculum and standards." A second recommender stated that he has "encountered no faculty member more concerned with undergraduate teaching or who has done more to improve the undergraduate experience" than our recipient. A third recommender wrote about our recipient's role in designing and implementing an engaging cablecast television program directed at students in the finite mathematics course.

This year's recipient has had the positive impact upon students all teachers hope to achieve!

It is my privilege to present this award to Daniel Maki, of Indiana University, Bloomington .

John Lorch, Chair
Indiana Section of the Mathematical Association of America
March 17, 2006