PHILIP LOEWEN TO RECEIVE THE 2005 CMS EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD

[Graham Wright]

PHILIP LOEWEN TO RECEIVE THE 2005 CMS EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD

Ottawa Ontario - The winner of the Canadian Mathematical Society's
second Excellence in Teaching Award is Dr. Philip Loewen, Professor of
Mathematics at the University of British Columbia (UBC).  The award
will be presented at the Society's 2005 Summer Meeting in Waterloo
(June 4 - 6).

Philip Loewen has an incredible record in teaching over many years,
resulting in an enormous positive influence on his faculty colleagues,
his postdoctoral fellows and graduate students and, most of all, on
his undergraduate students.

Loewen's students paint a portrait of a teacher who gives exceedingly
clear lectures, motivates students to think deeply and is intensely
dedicated to encouraging students to work hard and appreciate the
value of Mathematics. Philip Loewen is consistently precise, rigorous,
well-organized and richly motivated in his lectures. At the same time
he is a magician with words, concepts, ideas and specific topics. His
students acknowledge that he is very demanding, requiring that they
understand the mathematical concepts and learn how to apply them to
practical problems. His lectures are as highly appreciated by the
students of the Honours program in Mathematics as by the engineering
students. The students' comments include: "his ability to weave
additional layers of knowledge into his mathematical tapestry", "He
showed us the beauty of maths", "He teaches with vivid descriptions...
which come from his enthusiasm for and love of math."

Loewen won UBC's prestigious Killam Teaching Prize in Science for
1999-2000. In autumn 2004, the first year he became eligible again for
the competition, his students spontaneously nominated him. The
students also report that "Dr. Loewen makes himself readily available
to help any who will come to his door. "He has the ability to make a
student feel important and empowered in an environment where many
undergraduates begin to doubt themselves." Philip Loewen has extensive
online resources for his students, including detailed full lecture
notes in PDF format. His web notes often contain extra enriching
material not covered in the lectures.

Philip Loewen is very involved in promoting high-quality instruction
at the largest possible scale: late each summer, he runs an
orientation session for mathematics instructors new to UBC.  The
session brings the newcomers together with senior faculty to describe
and discuss some of the mechanics and expectations of teaching at UBC.

Philip Loewen has been active in mathematics education at all levels,
from consultation on the secondary school curriculum in British
Columbia to supervision of postgraduate students and postdoctoral
fellows. He is an active member of the BC Association of Mathematics
Teachers (BCAMT) and, until July 2004, he served as a PostSecondary
Representative on the Executive of the BCAMT. In 1999-2001 he was
involved with the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences
Elementary Grades Mathematics Contest.  He often volunteers to help
grade papers for the Euclid Mathematics Contest and is involved in
issues of Mathematics curriculum development for Grades 11 and 12 with
the BC Ministry of Education. He co-chaired a working group on the
preparation for university engineering and science courses at the 2003
Canada School Mathematics Forum. He has chaired the Department's
Curriculum Committee since 1999 and was the Department Co-op Program
Co-ordinator from 1996 to 2002.

Philip Loewen obtained his B.Sc. in Mathematics (Honours) in 1981 from
the University of Alberta and then his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the
University of British Columbia in 1983 and 1986, respectively. After
completing a NSERC-sponsored postdoctoral fellowship at Centre de
Recherches Mathématiques in Montreal and Imperial College of Science
and Technology in London, UK, he joined the University of British
Columbia in 1987.

Throughout his career Philip Loewen has been an active researcher. In
addition to his many research publications, he has written an
outstanding advanced textbook on Optimal Control.


Media Contacts

Graham Wright
CMS
613-562-5702
director at smc.math.ca

Adam Gaber
Thomson
(203) 425-1363
Adam.gaber at thomson.com

Gabrielle Zucker
EuroRSCG
(212) 699-2736