In 1991, the Board of Governors of the Mathematical Association of America established Section Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics to recognize extraordinarily successful teachers of mathematics at the post-secondary level. The Rocky Mountain Section Award is named in honor of Burton W. Jones, a lifelong advocate of excellence in teaching and strong supporter of the MAA.

Each year, the Award Selection Committee chooses an award recipient from nominations made by the section membership. Nominees and their nominators receive complimentary meeting registration at the Section Meeting. The award winner and their nominator have their banquet fees waived for the section meeting banquet.

The awardee is honored with a plaque and a cash award that is funded through the Carol Crawford Teaching Award Fund, which is a national program that started supporting the section teaching award in 2025. The distinguished teaching award winner is invited to deliver the opening lecture at the following year's Section Meeting. This individual also serves a one-year term on the Award Selection Committee and becomes the Section Nominee for the MAA Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.

Anyone is entitled to make a nomination, but nominations from chairs in departments of mathematical sciences are especially solicited. Self-nomination is not permitted. A previous nominee for this award who did not become a section awardee may be nominated again. 

Burton W. Jones (1902–1983) was a lifelong advocate of excellence in teaching at all levels and a strong supporter of the MAA, its members and programs. In honor of his memory a motion passed at the 1998 Spring meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section to name the Distinguished Teaching Award for him.

Past Recipients

Nomination Information

Who can nominate?

Any member of the Rocky Mountain Section of the MAA may nominate any other member of the Section. Self nomination is not permitted.

Who is eligible for the Award?

The nominee must:

• be a member of the MAA.

• be a college or university teacher assigned at least half time during the academic year to the teaching of a mathematical science in a public or private college or university (from two-year college teaching through teaching at the Ph.D. level) in the United States or Canada.

  Those on approved leave (sabbatical or other) during the academic year in which they are nominated qualify if they fulfilled the requirements in the previous year.

• have at least five years teaching experience in a mathematical science.

What are the selection criteria?

The nominee should:

• be widely recognized as extraordinarily successful at the post-secondary level.

• have teaching effectiveness that can be documented.

  "Teaching" is to be interpreted in its broadest sense, not necessarily limited to classroom teaching. It may include activities such as preparing students for mathematical competitions at the college level (e.g., Putnam Prize Exam or Mathematical Contest in Modeling), or attracting students to become majors or graduate students in a mathematical science.

• have had influence through their teaching beyond their institution.

  "Influence beyond their own institution" can take many forms, including demonstrated lasting impact on alumni, influence on the profession through curricular revisions in college mathematics teaching with impact beyond your institution, and influential innovative books on the teaching of mathematics.

• have a record that promotes an environment of diversity and inclusion in the mathematics community. Efforts that support members of communities marginalized by systemic discrimination are of special interest.

  The MAA values community, inclusivity, communication, along with teaching and learning. The section would like to promote these values and recognize outstanding contributions in this area when possible.

What is the nomination process?

Complete the nomination form. It can be downloaded, edited and emailed; or it can be printed and filled in manually. The form should be addressed to the Section Awards Coordinator.
  
The nomination form should reach the Section Secretary by December 15. After filing the nomination form, the nominator has until January 15 to submit a complete nomination packet.

A complete application should contain the following items: 

• Nomination Form: A completed Nomination Form as the first page(s) of the application. 

• Narrative: Describe how the nominee meets the evaluation criteria, in the context of their institution and its teaching expectations and resources.  This may include relevant institutional details (student demographics, teaching load, size, mission, etc.); information about the nominee’s background, experience, and teaching style; their special contributions to their institution or the profession more generally; their work and impact on students from communities who are marginalized in mathematics; and other evidence of the nominee’s extraordinary success as a teacher.  Please limit this portion to no more than five double spaced pages. 

• Additional Documentation: Please submit 1-3 pages of evidence supporting the narrative. This should document the nominee’s success in their teaching work, including a broad range of perspectives (students, faculty, etc.) and evidence of their successes as described in the narrative.  

• Letters of Recommendation: Please include one or two letters of recommendation from each of the following categories, up to a maximum of five letters. Letters must be of font no smaller than 11 point and must not exceed one page. 

  • from the nominee’s present or former student(s) 

  • from the nominee’s colleague(s) 

  • from anyone qualified to comment on the nominee’s qualifications for this award. 

  Letters should, in aggregate, specifically address the evaluation criteria for the award, including documented teaching effectiveness, as well as impact beyond the institution or advancement of equity in mathematics. 

Note: If the nomination packet exceeds the prescribed limits above, it will not be eligible for consideration for a national award.