CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Elizabeth Jockusch, a math teacher at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School, has been selected for a national award from the Mathematical Association of America.
Jockusch, who is retiring this year after 26 years of teaching at the school, is one of 24 winners of the 2006 Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching.
The awards are given based on nominations from students on the 60 U.S. and Canadian school teams scoring highest on the MAA's American Mathematics Contest 12, for high school seniors and below. The main purpose of the contest, according to the MAA, is to spur interest in mathematics and to develop talent through the solving of challenging problems. The contest is conducted through a multiple-choice exam administered at participating schools.
In their nomination of Jockusch for the award, University High students Mo Kudeki, Yuzi Nakamura and Alex Zhai said her class was "infamous for being the most rigorous and homework-intensive in the school. Saying, 'Gotta study for that Jockusch test,' elicits hums of sympathy from all other students. However, despite the demanding class, Mrs. Jockusch manges to instill in her students a genuine interest, understanding and love of mathematics."