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Mathematics Expert to Lecture at ASU

March 04, 2013

Dr. Edward B. Burger, the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Mathematics at Williams College, will deliver the 37th annual West Texas Medical Associates Distinguished Lectureship in Science Honoring Dr. Roy E. Moon on Tuesday, March 26, in Angelo State University’s Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive.

Burger’s presentation, titled “Monkeys, Mathematics and Mischief: What are the Lifelong Lessons of Education,” will begin at 8 p.m. March 26 in the University Center’s C.J. Davidson Conference Center.  Prior to the public lecture, Burger will also meet with ASU students to discuss “Zero to Infinity: Great Moments in the Evolution of Numbers” at 2 p.m.  Both lectures are open free to the public.

Widely recognized as one of the top mathematics educators in the U.S., Burger currently serves as the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Mathematics at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.  He was also recently selected as the new president of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

In 1997, Burger became one of the first makers of instructional mathematics videos accessible to a broader audience through mediums such as CD-ROMs and the Internet.  Since then, he has created more than 3,000 videos targeting groups from kindergarten age to college.

In addition to instructional videos, Burger has published 12 books, including The Heart of Mathematics: An invitation to effective thinking; Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz: Making light of weighty ideas; and The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, as well as several middle school and high school mathematics text books.  He has also produced numerous online video textbooks and video lecture series, and in 2012 developed Fuse Algebra I, Fuse Geometry and Fuse Algebra 2, the first school-level core apps for the Apple iPad.

The author or co-author of more than 35 research articles, Burger also serves as associate editor of American Mathematical Monthly and Math Horizons Magazine, is a reviewer for nine publishing companies and is a referee for 10 professional journals in the U.S., England and Germany.  He has appeared on the NBC “Today” show, and in 2010 won a Telly Award for the “Mathletes” episode of the NBC-Universal television series “The Science of the Olympic Winter Games.”

Burger’s many other honors and awards include being named a 2012 Global Hero in Education by Microsoft Education Worldwide and Best Math Teacher in Reader’s Digest’s “100 Best of America” 2006 special edition.  He has also won teaching excellence awards from Williams College, Baylor University, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Texas at Austin and the Mathematical Association of America, plus several additional awards for his instructional videos and mobile device applications.

Burger holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Connecticut College and a doctoral degree from UT-Austin.  He is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society, a trustee of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and a member of the Mathematical Association of America.

The WTMA Lectureship honors Dr. Roy E. Moon, a longtime San Angelo obstetrician and gynecologist, who died in 1976.  He practiced for 28 years with Clinic Hospital Medical Associates, now West Texas Medical Associates.  The lectureship was established in 1976 and is underwritten by a grant to ASU from members of WTMA.

Each year, the lectureship brings a scientist of national prominence to ASU for public lectures, colloquia and informal discussions.

The selection committee is chaired by Dr. Paul Swets, dean of the ASU College of Arts and Sciences, and includes Dr. Crosby Jones, professor of biology; Dr. Toni Sauncy, associate professor of physics; Dr. John Osterhout, head of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department; WTMA physicians, Dr. Patrick Gibson, Dr. Deborah Hajovsky and Dr. Joe Wilkinson; and retired physician Dr. Fazlur Rahman.

For more information, call the ASU College of Arts and Sciences at 325-942-2162.