Lynda Wiest, professor of mathematics education and educational equity at the University of Nevada, Reno, received the Willystine Goodsell Award from the American Educational Research Association. She will be honored and give a presentation at the group’s annual meeting this spring. The award aims to recognize educators who support women, girls, and education through scholarship, activism, or community building.
“I was really excited when I got it because I’ve been in this field a long time working to support girls and women in education, specifically in math education,” Professor Wiest said. “To have that recognized by a national organization that I respect means a lot to me.”
Dr. Wiest said she considers some of the previous winners of the award to be some of the “giants” in the education field. “To be kind of thrown there in the mix among those individuals is humbling and pretty exciting,” she said.
Dr. Wiest worked as an elementary and middle school teacher for more than a decade before joining the faculty at the University of Nevada Reno in 1996. She was promoted to associate professor in 2001 and to full professor in 2009.
Professor Wiest holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. She earned a Ph.D. at Indiana University in Bloomington.