Malcolm Adams, 2015 Meigs Professor

Four UGA faculty members have been named Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors, the university's highest recognition for excellence in instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including professor and mathematics department head Malcolm Adams:

In bestowing the Meigs Professorship, the university communicates its commitment to excellence in teaching, the value placed on the learning experiences of students and the centrality of instruction to the university's mission. Meigs Professors receive a permanent salary increase of $6,000 and a one-year discretionary fund of $1,000. The award is sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

"Our Meigs Professors demonstrate an enduring commitment to the success of their students," said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "Their reputation for excellence in instruction extends well beyond our campus, and their impact on the lives and career trajectories of students and alumni is incalculable."

About Dr. Adams' work:

Adams has helped transform the mathematics curriculum at UGA. He crafted transitional courses to introduce higher-level mathematics to students, incorporated applied mathematics in the undergraduate curriculum and spearheaded the modernization of the department's offerings in differential equations.

His efforts touch lives across campus from freshmen to graduate students in mathematics as well as students and faculty in other programs such as statistics, computer science and engineering. He also has played a key role in adapting curriculum to meet changing state and national mathematics education policies. Adams is described by colleagues as a patient teacher who anticipates the difficulties in higher-level math courses and gives students the skills to develop into mathematicians.

Congratulations to all four, with special thanks and appreciation for Adams' work in mathematics instruction as it touches so many other disciplines, as noted above. Visionary instruction, with a selfless, campus-minded approach to what's best for all of our students.