Math prof receives prestigious new SAS award

Undergraduate Mathematics Chairperson Dennis DeTurck has been selected as the first recipient of the Davidson Kennedy Professorship in the College of Arts and Sciences. According to College Dean Robert Rescorla, this appointment will last for a three-year period and will carry a research and teaching grant of $10,000. The professorship, which was created in November, is awarded to "a School of Arts and Sciences faculty member with a distinguished scholarly career who has made outstanding contributions to undergraduate education in the College," he said. DeTurck, who found out just last night that he was awarded the position, said he was pleasantly surprised to learn that he is going to be the first to hold the chair. "For me, the best part of the whole thing is what the chair is for," he said. "It is specifically about undergraduate education." DeTurck added that he is happy with the unique combination of research and education that the chair provides. "I find [the idea of the chair] encouraging," he said. "But it is even more exciting because I get to have it first." The criteria sent to department and undergraduate chairpersons by Rescorla and SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens states that the recipient "should have displayed excellence in teaching, innovation in curriculum development, and service to students, as well as first-rate scholarship." Rescorla said the purpose of this position is to raise the visibility of teaching as a contribution to the institution. "We are trying to acknowledge people who have made important educational contributions," he said. DeTurck said he is excited by this goal. "There simply aren't any chairs like that at Penn, so this is sort of a new direction, and I think a correct direction," he said. DeTurck added that it is very significant that the College -- and University in general -- is concerned about the quality of undergraduate education. Rescorla said he is hopeful that the College will set up similar chairs in the future. He added that he was pleased with the feedback he received from the departments. "It was really very rewarding because as you looked them over you realized how many first-rate contributors we have in the College," he said. This position will be given to someone every three years "so we can keep people noticing that we care about teaching and other educational contributions," Rescorla said. "It isn't just a good teaching award," he added. "It's an award for people who have thought about good education and what it should be like." DeTurck said because he just found out about this position, he does not have any concrete plans yet. "One does not often have funds like this that you have complete discretion over," he said. "There are a lot of things in my mind. I haven't had time to think about it yet." DeTurck added that there are some interdisciplinary projects he might be interested in initiating. "Hopefully we can build on the momentum of having this to go forward with initiatives for the math department and [other College departments]," he said. DeTurck has been praised for his consistent accessibility to students and his openness to new ideas. He has also been particularly visible in dealing with students' complaints about the Maple calculus computer program that was introduced into the curriculum last year. Although the Davidson Kennedy Professorship is quite an honor for DeTurck, it is not the first recognition he has received from the University. In 1991, he was awarded the University's most prestigious teaching accolade -- the Lindback Award. Along with the recognition of being one of the University's top teachers, he also received a $1,000 prize. In addition, DeTurck has received multiple awards from the mathematics department.