A West Virginia University mathematics professor was recently named the 2007 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award by the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WVCTM).
Laura Pyzdrowski, an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, was recognized for outstanding work in mathematics education.
The recognition honors her active roles in the Mathematics Education Reform Initiative for Teachers (Project MERIT ), The Blue Ribbon Mathematics Partnership Committee, WvEB Algebra (college-level mathematics courses for high school students) and Increasing the Mathematical Power of All Children and Teachers (Project IMPACT ).
The WVCTM is a statewide organization that advocates best practices in mathematics instruction for West Virginia students.
The Distinguished Service Award is the most prestigious award granted by the WVCTM . The organization annually recognizes an outstanding mathematics educator with the award, also known asThe Chair.It is bestowed upon a member who has consistently served the organization and mathematics community of West Virginia. The award consists of a captains chair with an engraved plaque and life membership in the WVCTM .
I am honored to receive this prestigious award from the mathematics education community in West Virginia,Pyzdrowski said.In particular, this award is meaningful to me because I was nominated by those with whom I work. This validates for me that my work is making a difference for the teachers and students in West Virginia.
Pyzdrowski is the pre-collegiate mathematics coordinator at WVU . She specializes in mathematics education with her research, which mainly focuses on the teaching of college algebra. She co-coordinates college algebra and pre-calculus, while directing WvEB Algebra, a high school Web math program.
The WVU professor nurtured The Blue Ribbon Mathematics Partnership Committee from its founding. Her efforts provided direct influence for mathematics education in the northern counties of the state, as well as a conduit of information to the counties to foster collaborative professional development projects.
In addition, Pyzdrowski and her husband Anthony work together to develop Web-based instructional materials and regularly present their work at national conferences. An affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the WVCTM is devoted to encouraging an active interest in mathematics, improving the teaching of mathematics at all levels in schools and supporting teacher training programs in colleges.
For more information, visit the WVCTM Web site athttp://www.wvctm.orgor e-mail Pyzdrowski at Laura.Pyzdrowski@mail.wvu.edu .