LBC mathematics professor honored with national teaching award

July 27, 2023

Dr. Abraham Edwards, a mathematics faculty member at MSU’s Lyman Briggs College, has received a prestigious award from the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) for exceptional teaching. 

The Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching is given by the MAA to beginning college or university faculty whose teaching has been extraordinarily successful and whose effectiveness in teaching undergraduate mathematics is shown to have influence beyond their classrooms. 

Dr. Edwards was one of three recipients of the Alder Award in 2023.  

Edwards received his Ph.D. in mathematics education from Michigan State University in 2016 before joining the faculty. A mark of his success is the number of his college algebra students that continue to thrive in higher-level courses, some even pursuing doctoral degrees in mathematics. Dr. Edwards uses his training and research in mathematics education and his passion for mathematics and its history to be a highly effective and impactful instructor. From a study abroad program, to a Lyman Briggs senior seminar, Dr. Edwards uses math history to make his courses come alive. 

Lyman Briggs College Dean, Kendra Spence Cheruvelil, writes, “Dr. Edwards epitomizes what it means to be an innovative and impactful Briggs faculty member. Our students benefit from his exceptional teaching, including his use of primary sources and his placement of math within historical contexts. We are thrilled that he is being recognized on the national stage.” 

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Edwards has demonstrated his commitment to mathematics education by leading a popular 2022 MAA MathFest workshop, “Learning from History: Teaching with Primary Source Projects in Your Mathematics Classroom.” Dr. Edwards previously received the MAA Michigan Section’s 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award and was a finalist for Michigan State University’s 2022 President’s Teaching Award.