MATHEMATICS EDUCATOR AT OU RECEIVES OUTSTANDING TEACHING AWARD

NORMAN —Nikola Petrov, an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Oklahoma, was named Irene Rothbaum Outstanding Assistant Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences.

A native of Bulgaria, Petrov came to the United States in 1995 as a student in physics and mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin.  From 2002 to 2005 he held a joint appointment at the University of Michigan as an assistant professor of mathematics and a postdoctoral associate at the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics.  He joined the Department of Mathematics at OU in 2005.

In his three years in the college, he has taught upper-division mathematics classes that are designed to advance students majoring in physics, engineering, finance and biology. 

Student evaluations support the choice of Petrov as an award-winning instructor.  Comments range from, “He is very approachable and makes us engaged in class,” to “[This course is] the standard by which all math courses should be held…”  Lynn Greenleaf, in a letter of support for Petrov, wrote, “I tried to incorporate Dr. Petrov’s teaching techniques into my pre-calculus class this summer and my students responded very favorably to this new approach.  I am extremely grateful to him for helping me to become a more effective teacher.”

The Irene Rothbaum Outstanding Assistant Professor Award was established 12 years ago by the late Julian Rothbaum in honor of his late wife, Irene.   It is awarded to a promising assistant professor in the college.  The recipient receives $2,500 and a plaque.

To be eligible for the Irene Rothbaum Award for Outstanding Assistant Professor, a nominee must be a tenure-track assistant professor, with at least two years in rank at OU.  Nominees must have outstanding credentials as a teacher as shown by student-teacher evaluations, chair recommendations and additional information, such as student or peer letters of support.  They also should exhibit progress in scholarship as shown by publications and grant support.  The award is presented each spring semester by the OU College of Arts and Sciences.  Recipients are given a plaque and a check for $2,500.  Their name also is engraved on a plaque located in Ellison Hall, the location of the college’s administrative offices.