[cmath] DAVID POOLE TO RECEIVE THE 2009 CMS EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD

[Graham Wright]

Ottawa Ontario - The Canadian Mathematical Society is pleased to award 
the 2009 CMS Excellence in Teaching Award to Professor David Poole, 
Department of Mathematics, Trent University. The Award will be 
presented at the Society's 2009 Summer Meeting in St. John’s, 
Newfoundland.

The award recognizes sustained and distinguished contributions in 
teaching at the post-secondary undergraduate level at a Canadian 
institution. Nelson Education Ltd., a well-known Canadian publisher, 
is a supporter of this Award.

"David’s success as a teacher reflects his love of teaching, as does 
the fact that he did not take a teaching reduction while he was chair 
of our Department from 1996 to 2001. He is an exemplary academic 
citizen: diligent, inclusive, keen, sanguine, serious and modest”, 
said Reem Yassawi, the Department's Chair.

His students describe him as a gifted mathematician whose love and 
passion for the subject shine through all of his interactions with his 
classes and as a multi-talented professional, working diligently and 
with considerable creativity and notable success to enrich the lives 
of his students. His depth of knowledge allows him great flexibility 
in the range of examples and applications that he brings to the 
teaching of almost any mathematical concept. They also praise the way 
he prepares his assignments in a way that the understanding of the 
material increases significantly at the end of the assignment due to 
careful choice and ordering of the questions. David’s development of 
the course MATH 2080 (Mathematics for the contemporary classroom) was 
crucial in serving the needs of prospective elementary school teachers 
and it reflects his conviction that a mathematician has a 
responsibility to educate, and educate effectively.

“David is a gifted Teacher, both inside the classroom and out, who 
truly cares about his students. His teaching is the model on which I 
try to base my own. He has been a strong and positive influence on the 
lives of students at Trent for many years, and his influence has now 
been extended to many more students through his text book”, said Joy 
Morris, a former student of David and an associate professor at the 
University of Lethbridge.

Professor Poole's excellence in teaching has been recognized through 
his numerous teaching awards: Trent University’s Symons Award for 
Excellence in Teaching (1995), an Ontario Confederation of University 
Faculty Associations Teaching Award (2002), a 3M Teaching Fellowship 
(2003), a Leadership in Faculty Teaching Award (Ontario, 2007), and 
several merit awards for excellence in teaching. He has given many 
invited talks related to mathematics education, notably the John F. 
Randolph Lecture to the Seaway Section of the Mathematical Association 
of America in 2005.

David Poole completed his undergraduate studies at Acadia University 
and his graduate studies at McMaster University, where he received a 
Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1984. He has taught at Trent University since 
then and is currently Professor of Mathematics. He chaired Trent’s 
Mathematics Department from 1996–2000 and from 2001–03. From 
2002–2007, he was Associate Dean of Arts and Science (Teaching and 
Learning) with responsibility for Trent’s Instructional Development 
Centre, Academic Skills Centre, Trent Centre for Community-Based 
Education, classroom technologies, and the university’s academic 
integrity policy.

Professor Poole’s research interests are in ring theory, discrete 
mathematics, and mathematics education. He is the author of the 
textbook Linear Algebra: A Modern Introduction (Brooks/Cole), 
currently in its second edition and used in universities and colleges 
worldwide.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Graham P. Wright
Executive Director
Canadian Mathematical Society
Tel: (613) 733-2662
director at cms.math.ca

Dr. Joseph Khoury
Excellence in Teaching Award Selection Committee
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Ottawa
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext 3487
jkhoury at uottawa.ca