The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) has presented its 2025 Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics to three recipients, all three of whom are women.
Monique Chyba, professor of mathematics at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, was recognized for her commitment to building community through mathematics. A UH faculty member since 2002, she played a key role in designing the university’s introductory math class in collaboration with faculty and Native Hawaii leaders, making the class more meaningful, accessible, and culturally relevant for students. She also developed a math program for middle school students to explore real-world data on infectious diseases with guidance from college mentors.
Dr. Chyba earned her Ph.D. from the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France.
Angie Hodge-Zickerman, associate professor of mathematics and statistics at Northern Arizona University, was honored for her contributions to mathematics education. Currently, she serves as co-principal investigator for the “NAU Noyce Scholars Programs: Educating the STEM Teacher for Recruitment to Induction,” which supports the professional development of STEM educators. At Northern Arizona University, Dr. Hodge-Zickerman serves as chair of the department of educational specialities.
Dr. Hodge-Zickerman is a graduate of Minnesota State University-Moorhead, where she majored in mathematics. She holds a master’s degree in mathematics and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from Purdue University in Indiana.
Yvonne Lai, the Milton E. Mohr Professor and Graduate Chair of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was awarded for her contributions to mathematics education and teacher preparation. Her current research seeks to improve the education of secondary mathematics teachers and early mathematics majors by bridging disciplinary perspectives from mathematics and education. A national leader in her field, she is the founding chair of MAA’s Special Interest Group on Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching, an organization that supports mathematics faculty invested in teacher education.
Dr. Lai received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. in geometric group theory and hyperbolic geometry from the University of California, Davis.