The Jeanne Agnew Award is given annually to a teaching assistant in the Mathematics Department in recognition of superior teaching. The Mathematics Department is pleased to have a number of high quality teachers serving as teaching assistants. Although this award recognizes only one individual each year, it is meant to honor all those who have served the department well with high quality teaching.
The Jeanne Agnew Award honors Professor Jeanne Agnew who is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at OSU. Professor Agnew served as a faculty member from 1953 until her retirement in 1984. During this time she directed 18 doctoral dissertations. Her distinguished teaching was recognized by both the Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award and the OSU Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award. She also has published two textbooks, Exploration in Number Theory and Linear Algebra with Applications.
The award is open to all teaching assistants in the Mathematics Department who are actively pursuing graduate degrees and who will be returning to OSU for at least one more year of graduate study. Winners of the award will be chosen on the basis of superior classroom teaching as evidenced by student evaluation forms, personal feedback from students, input from course supervisors, and obvious concerns about quality education. Some priority will be given to teaching assistants who have an interest in pursuing teaching careers. Also, as quality teaching can sometimes be better recognized over longer periods of time, there will necessarily be priority given to teaching assistants with longer records of service.
The Graduate Teaching Assistant Award carries a stipend that is paid out in nine monthly installments and added to the regular assistantship stipend. Winners will also have their names added to a plaque which will be displayed in the Mathematics Department office.
The Graduate Committee each spring will choose one representative to meet with the Associate Head of the Mathematics Department. Together these two will review any pertinent information and seek whatever input they find relevant from other faculty members and/or students. They will then make a recommendation to the Department Head who will have final approval of the winner of the award.