Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Awards
Moderated by: MAA President Hortensia Soto, Colorado State University.

Saturday, August 9
MAA MathFest 2025

Abstract: In 1991 the Mathematical Association of America instituted Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics to honor college or university teachers who have been widely recognized as extraordinarily successful and whose teaching effectiveness has been shown to have had influence beyond their own institutions. In 1993 the MAA Board of Governors renamed the award to honor Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo. Each year at most three college or university teachers are honored with this award. Recipients of the Haimo Award receive $1,000 and a certificate of recognition; recipients must be members of the Association (teaching in the U.S. or Canada). At least one of the Award recipients must be a current Section nominee. The Section nominee may be the current recipient of the Section Award for Distinguished Teaching or a previous recipient of a Section Award for Distinguished Teaching from any Section. At most one of the Award recipients may be other than a current or past recipient of a Section Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Winners of the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching will give presentations on the secrets of their success. This is moderated by MAA President Hortensia Soto, Colorado State University.

Hands-On, Hearts-In: Teaching Mathematics with Creativity and Care
Angie Hodge-Zickerman, Northern Arizona University 

What happens when we center humanity, creativity, and care in the mathematics classroom? In this talk, Dr. Angie Hodge-Zickerman shares her journey of developing engaging, hands-on learning experiences, such as TACTivities, that invite students to explore mathematics with curiosity and confidence. Grounded in active and empowered learning, her approach blends structure and play to make abstract concepts tangible. Through stories from college classrooms, professional development programs, and Math Teachers’ Circles, she illustrates how tactile tools and intentional teaching practices can foster both mathematical understanding and community. This talk celebrates the power of teaching mathematics with both our hands and our hearts.

How Do You Listen? The Messages We Send through the Way We Listen
Yvonne Lai, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

When we listen, we may listen to judge, for what is right or wrong. Or we can listen to understand, to know for what purpose. Or perhaps we listen to create, for the possibilities of what we can create together. In this talk, Yvonne Lai will discuss modes of listening and the messages they send about who belongs in the mathematical community, and what mathematics and collaboration can be. This talk will begin in the classroom, and end in the broader work we do in the mathematical sciences.

Mathematics Rooted in Love and Care for the ʻĀina
Monique Chyba, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Mathematics is too often taught in isolation, abstractly and disconnected from land, culture, and students’ lived experiences. This presentation explores the design and impact of place-based mathematics courses that realign mathematical learning with real-world, local issues and meaningful community engagement. By embedding math in challenges like environmental restoration, and public health, students see that math is not just numbers on a page but also a tool for action, reflection, and connection. Both mathematics and real life can be messy, but they’re also deeply beautiful and absolutely worth the effort.