MASTERS OF MATHEMATICS AWARDS

Dorothea & Edgar D. Eaves Summer Fellowship, presented by Dr. Anne Ho.

The Dorothea and Edgar D. Eaves Summer Fellowships were established in 1977 to encourage high school mathematics teachers to return to the University of Tennessee during the summer to further the study of mathematics.

This year’s winner of the Dorothea and Edgar D. Eaves Summer Fellowship is Latishua Scurlock.

Dr. Harry Row Scholarship, presented by Dr. Anne Ho.

Harry Row was deeply committed to teaching and spent considerable time working with teachers. One of his professional goals was to promote the appropriate use of technology in the teaching of Mathematics. This scholarship funds a teacher who wants to continue the study of Mathematics and preference is given to those who have significantly used technology in their teaching.

This year’s winner of the Harry Row Scholarship is Cody Sartorius.

UT Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award, presented by Dr. Anna Kazanova.

The Department of Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award is given to a local high school mathematics teacher who best exemplifies the knowledge of and enthusiasm for the discipline of mathematics inside the classroom and out.

This year’s winner of the UT Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award is Jacob Davol.

Tyler Hall, Franklin Zhang, and Dr. Langford

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

John M. Allen Prizes, presented by Dr. Mat Langford.

The Allen Medal in mathematics was originated by John Mebane Allen in 1890 and has since been presented annually. It is noted to be one of the oldest awards given by The University of Tennessee. The Allen Medal is given to recognize freshman students who demonstrate, upon testing, the best knowledge of Algebra, Plane Geometry, Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry, Single Variable Calculus, and/or any other areas of mathematics as may be determined by the department head and select faculty members.

This year’s first-place winner of the Allen Medal prize is Franklin Zhang. This year’s second-place winner is Tyler Hall.

Spencer Catron, John Maddox, Dr. Nicoara, and Melaine Trouse

John H. Barrett Prize, presented by Dr. Remus Nicoara.

The tradition of the John H. Barrett Prize began in 1970. It is an annual memorial award given to outstanding undergraduate seniors who have a concentration in mathematics or are mathematics majors.

This year’s winners of the John H. Barrett Prize are Spencer Catron, John Maddox, Ye He, Gesa Nestler, and Melaine Trouse.

Dr. Lenhart, Frank Standaert, Pierluigi Cambie-Fabris, and Elinor Elkington

Cooper D. Schmitt Memorial Scholarship, presented by Dr. Suzanne Lenhart.

The Cooper D. Schmitt Endowment was established in 1987. The goal of this fund is to provide undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, and appropriate awards to outstanding students in the Department of Mathematics at The University of Tennessee.

This year’s winners of the Cooper D. Schmitt Memorial Scholarships are Pierluigi Cambie-Fabris, Jason Carmody, Elinor Elkington, and Frank Standaert.

Lukas Carpenter, Francesca Ravelli, and Jack Sturm

Dr. Glenn R. & Elise I. Young Scholarship, presented by Jack Sturm.

The Dr. Glenn R. and Elise I. Young Scholarship was established in 2010. Its purpose is to support Physics or Mathematics majors who demonstrate successful academic performance. Preference is given to juniors. Awards are given in the Mathematics and the Physics Departments.

This year’s winners of the Dr. Glenn R. and Elise I. Young Scholarships are Lukas Carpenter and Francesca Ravelli.

Madeline Dorminy, Joshua Douden, and Dr. Jameson

James A. Cooley Scholarship, presented by Dr. Marie Jameson.

The James A. Cooley Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the memory of James A. Cooley and to help qualified and deserving mathematics students secure a college education. Professor Cooley was Head of the Department of Mathematics from 1942 until he returned to full-time teaching in 1961. Preference is given to students interested in a teaching career.

This year’s winners of the James A. Cooley Scholarships are Madeline Dorminy and Joshua Douden.

Simms Foundation Scholarship, presented by Dr. Dustin Cartwright.

The Simms Foundation Scholarship was created through a generous gift from Carol Sue Simms in 2014. The Simms Foundation Scholarship is a 4-year merit scholarship awarded to an incoming freshman with an excellent high school record who will major in math and has an interest in teaching.

This year’s winner of the Simms Foundation Scholarship is Jacob Nenow.

Dr. Prosper and Jacob Knight

Polly Anna Harris Scholarship, presented by Dr. Olivia Prosper.

This scholarship helps support a future mathematics teacher. Applicants must be fourth-year undergraduate students pursuing a major in mathematics, with the intent to become a high school mathematics teacher. Polly Anna Harris, a former UTK math major, taught at Bearden High School for many years before she retired. She was a recipient of the UT Alumna and Presidential Award for outstanding teaching. This scholarship is sponsored by her family, son, David Harris, MD, who is also a former UTK math major, and his wife Patricia, son, Frank Harris, and wife Abby Avery, daughter, Paula Morrison, also a former UTK math major, and her husband G. Grainger Morrison.

This year’s winners of the Polly Anna Harris Scholarships are Jacob Knight and Zoe Simpson.

Kristina Wilson, Dr. Plaut, and Joshua Douden

Faculty & Staff Honors Scholarship, presented by Dr. Conrad Plaut.

This award is funded by the faculty and staff of the mathematics department. It is awarded to an undergraduate in the Math Honors program who has demonstrated excellent academic performance.

This year’s winners of the Faculty & Staff Honors Scholarships are Joshua Douden and Kristina Wilson.

Nicholas Murray, Nicolette Abate, Dylan Holloway, Ashleigh Clark, Aaron Bailey, Gabriel Johnson, Alex Zhang, and Dr. Strickland

Lucille & Herbert Lee Memorial Scholarship, presented by Dr. Christopher Strickland.

The Lucille and Herbert Lee Scholarship Awards were established in 1986 by a generous endowment from the Lee estate, and are awarded to sophomore and upperclassmen mathematics majors with outstanding records of academic achievement. Herbert E. Lee, who received his Ph.D. from Duke University, taught mathematics at UTK for three decades until his retirement in 1969. He, and his wife Lucille, were cheerful, friendly, outgoing people who always kept students’ welfare in mind.

This year’s winners of the Lucille and Herbert E. Lee Memorial Scholarships are Nicolette Abate, Aaron Bailey, Ashleigh Clark, Dylan Holloway, Gabriel Johnson, Nicholas Murray, and Alex Zhang.

Dr. Frazier, Nicholas Murray, Kristina Wilson, and Lukas Carpenter

Dr. Warren L. & Kyleen D. Franz Scholarship, presented by Dr. Mike Frazier.

The Dr. Warren L. & Kyleen D. Franz Endowed Mathematics Scholarship was established in 2015 to support mathematics majors who demonstrate successful academic performance.

This year’s winners of the Dr. Warren L. & Mrs. Kyleen D. Franz Scholarship are Lukas Carpenter, Nicholas Murray, and Kristina Wilson.

Gage Erwin and Dr. Lynch

J.P. & Gladys Maples Scholarship, presented by Dr. Stephen Lynch.

J. P. and Gladys Maples set up their scholarship endowment fund to encourage scholastic excellence.

This year’s winner of the J.P. and Gladys Maples Scholarship is Gage Erwin.

Elinor Elkington and Dr. Langford

April Marie Morton Scholarship, presented by Dr. Mat Langford.

The April Marie Memorial Scholarship was established in 2021 by Mrs. Sharon Morton in memory of her daughter April who was a Mathematics graduate student who died as a result of a kayaking accident in 2019. The scholarship supports students who are studying Applied Mathematics and have demonstrated financial need.

This year’s winners of the April Marie Morton Scholarships are Jason Carmody and Elinor Elkington.

Dr. Nicoara and Danielle Patenaude

Karen L. Sisk Scholarship, presented by Dr. Remus Nicoara.

This is the first year the Sisk Scholarship is being given. Karen L. Sisk Scholarship is a 4-year award given to incoming students from outside of the four largest metropolitan areas in Tennessee.

This year’s winners of the Karen L. Sisk Scholarships are Lorraine Cutting and Danielle Patenaude.

Kenneth Vann Scholarship, presented by Dr. Conrad Plaut.

The Kenneth Vann Scholarship is a 4-year award for an incoming student with a promising high school record and an intention to study math.

This year’s winners of the Kenneth Vann Scholarships are Tyler Grimes and Maya Mosley.

Philip Rosenbalm, Franklin Zhang, and Dr. Vellis

Puzzler Problem-Solving Award, presented by Dr. Vyron Vellis.

This year, the department began publishing problems, known as “Puzzlers” to math majors and minors. This award recognizes two students who have provided complete and insightful answers to the Puzzlers.

This year’s first-place winner is Philip Rosenbalm.
This year’s second-place winner is Franklin Zhang.

Nicholas Murray, Kristina Wilson, Andrew Testerman, Ashleigh Clark, Gabriel Vaccaro, Francesca Ravelli, Christopher Williamson, Mackenzie Williver, and Dr. Denzler

Recognition of Pi Mu Epsilon Tennessee Delta Chapter, presented by Dr. Jochen Denzler

This year’s Mathematics Department merit-based award membership to the Pi Mu Epsilon Honors Society goes to Kristina Wilson and Nicholas Murray.

This year’s Mathematics Department nominee award winners go to Ashleigh Clark, Parker Edmisten, Virginia Jordan, Francesca Ravelli, Andrew Testerman, Gabriel Vaccaro, Christopher Williamson,and Mackenzie Williver.

Franklin Zhang, Lucas Nelson, Dylan Holloway, Logan Searfoss, and Dr. Denzler

Recognition of Putnam Competition Participants, presented by Dr. Jochen Denzler.

The Putnam Competition is an annual contest among undergraduate students across the United States and Canada.

2022 participants Dylan Holloway, Lucas Nelson, Logan Kage Searfoss, and Franklin Zhang.

Dr. Wise, Amber Young, and Ryan Campbell

GRADUATE AWARDS

Randall E. Cline Award, presented by Dr. Steven Wise.

This award was established by friends and colleagues in memory of Dr. Randall E. Cline. It is to provide student aid for scholarly activities associated with graduate student work in The University of Tennessee Department of Mathematics. Currently enrolled and prospective math graduate students are eligible for the award.

This year’s winners of the Randall E. Cline Awards are Ryan Campbell and Amber Young.

Dr. Feng, Jacob Dennerlein, and Betsy Downs

Graduate Student Achievement Award, presented by Dr. Xiaobing Feng

The goal of these awards is to recognize outstanding academic achievement among graduate students. It was established several years ago to parallel the award for outstanding teaching among graduate students.

This year’s winners of the Graduate Student Academic Achievement Awards are Jacob Dennerlein, Betsy Downs, and Kimberlyn Eversman.

Dr. Schulze, Joshua Siktar, and Liam Bitting

Spike Tickle STEM Endowed Fellowship, presented by Dr. Tim Schulze.

The Spike Tickle Fellowship was established by Mr. John D. “Spike” Tickle to recognize students who have outstanding academic performance and desire to use their talents and education in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). The award is given to a graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences to focus on teaching and/or research efforts in mathematics.

This year’s winners of the Spike Tickle STEM Endowed Fellowships are Liam Bitting and Joshua Siktar.

Pam Armentrout, Barton Gattis, and Jessica Kingsley

Dorthea & Edgar D. Eaves Teaching Awards, presented by Pam Armentrout.

The Dorothea and Edgar D. Eaves Awards were established in 1977 in order to recognize outstanding teaching among graduate teaching assistants.

This year’s winners of the Junior Level award are Jessica Kingsley.

This year’s winners of the Senior Level award are Barton Gattis.

John McAlister, Tariquel Islam, Jordan Pellett, Chiara Mattamira, and Dr. Jameson

GTA Teaching Excellence Fellowship, presented by Dr. Marie Jameson.

This award was established in 2019 to recognize excellence in teaching, as well as a significant contribution to the undergraduate education mission of the Department of Mathematics. The award is designed to encourage Math GTAs to deepen their involvement in the educational mission of the department.

This year’s winners of the Math GTA Teaching Excellence Fellowships are Chiara Mattamira, John McAlister, Jordan Pellett, and Mohammad Tariquel Islam.

Kelechi Akwataghibe, Johannes Krotz, Chiara Mattamira, and Maggie Sullens

SIAM UTK Graduate Student Research Showcase, presented by Maggie Sullens and Charlotte Beckford.

The SIAM UTK Graduate Student Research Showcase is a presentation competition established in 2021 that showcases the research of current graduate students and their advisors. Presentations are 20 minutes in length with 5 minutes for questions and are judged by a panel.

This year’s first-place winner is Johannes Krotz.

This year’s second-place winner is Kelechi Akwataghibe.

This year’s third-place winner is Chiara Mattamira.

Chris Hellman, Maruf Lawal, and Dr. Freire

Yueh-er, Hong-hsu & Clarence Cheng Kuo Fellowship, presented by Dr. Alex Freire.

The Yueh-er, Hong-hsu, and Clarence Cheng Kuo Fellowship Endowment was established in 2003 by Dr. Yueh-er Kuo to promote Masters’ degree education in the Department of Mathematics. Yueh-er Kuo was a professor in the Department of Mathematics since 1964. She was an expert in educating Masters’ degree students in addition to her own research. She had 56 thesis and project students and many of them are very successful in their careers. Hong-hsu Kuo was the husband of Yueh-er Kuo and was a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Clarence Cheng Kuo was the son of Yueh-er and Hong-hsu. He was a brilliant model student at the University Nursery School. This award is given to graduate students with outstanding academic merit.

This year’s winners of the Yueh-er, Hong-hsu, and Clarence Cheng Kuo Fellowships are Chris Hellman and Maruf Lawal.

Leigh Pearcy and Dr. Frazier

MGSC AWARDS

Ann S. Keith (Rea) Math Faculty Teaching Award, presented by Leigh Pearcy.

This award goes to a professor who has done an exceptional job teaching a course for graduate students this school year. A generous gift from Mrs. Ann S. Keith Rea helps to support the award. Voted on by the graduate students, this award is meant to recognize the work and dedication a professor has given to help students understand the course material.

This year’s winner of the MGSC Teaching Award is Dr. Mike Frazier.

John McAlister and Ben Walker

Math Graduate Student Council Service Award, presented by John McAlister.

This award goes to a professor or staff member who goes above and beyond to mentor, advise, or in general help graduate students this year in a non-teaching capacity. Again, the winner is chosen by a vote of graduate students.

This year’s winner of the MGSC Service Award is Ben Walker.

Smit Patel and Kevin Farmer

Society of Actuaries, Exam P, presented by Dr. Dustin Cartwright.

Exam P is a comprehensive exam on the concepts in probability and their application to actuarial science.

Kevin Farmer and Smit Patel

Staff of the Year Award, presented by Dr. Jeneva Clark.

This award is being given for the first time this year and recognizes outstanding work by a departmental staff member. Nominations were taken from the department and decided by a committee of faculty.

This year’s winner of the Staff of the Year Award is Pam Armentrout.

2022-2023 MATHEMATICS PROGRAM GRADUATES

Graduates of the Mathematics Honors Program

• Spencer Catron
• Ye He
• John Maddox
• Gesa Nestler
• Lauren Proctor
• Nathaniel Sheets
• Adalynn Taylor

Graduate Program Graduates

M.M. Graduates

• Jacob Davol
• Gabrielle De Jesus
• Candace Dillin
• Madelyn Harriger
• Hubert Harris
• Wendy Jones
• Michelle Keating
• Michelle Millerberg
• Sarah Pigman
• Katherine Roberts
• Dayle Warren

M.S. Graduates

• Bernardo Ameneyro
• Hannah Conner
• Patrick Gillespie
• Jacob Honeycutt
• Jessica Kingsley
• Maruf Lawal
• John McAlister
• Jewel Jolly Miles
• Daniel Smith
• Bryan Walker

Ph.D. Graduates

• Liam Bitting
• Jacob Dennerlein
• Betsy Downs
• David Elzinga
• Apostolos Gournaris
• Justin Groves
• Michael Hanson
• Alex Lacy
• Eddie Mitchell
• Sandra Nguemto Guiawa
• Leigh Pearcy
• Sathyana Rengaswami
• Timothy Robertson
• Jeremiah Smith