The club The Chancellors Club, established in 1977 by the KU Endowment Association, is KU's major-donor organization. The KU Endowment Association is an independent, non-profit organization serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management foundation for the University of Kansas. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest foundation of its type at a public university in the United States and one of the largest. Related articles Chancellors Club honors scientist Chancellors Club names 2000-01 scholars Subscribe now to receive KU News by email

Contact: John Scarffe, KU Endowment Association, (785) 832-7336.

KU math professor nets career teaching award

LAWRENCE -- A University of Kansas professor who is a teacher of teachers has been named the recipient of the Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award for 2000. Robert D. Brown, professor of mathematics, will receive the award tonight at the 23rd annual meeting of the Chancellors Club at the Lawrence Holiday Inn Holidome.

Brown said he was thrilled to receive the award. "When you love what you do, it's great to have people tell you that you've done a good job," he said. "I'm flattered and touched that my colleagues put in the time and effort needed to nominate me."

The Chancellors Club, established in 1977 by the KU Endowment Association, is KU's major-donor organization. The Club's annual Career Teaching Award honors a senior KU faculty member who exemplifies the university's commitment to outstanding teaching. KU faculty members, students and alumni submit nominations for the $5,000 award.

Brown's peers said he excels at communicating the abstract through very practical means. In a letter supporting Brown's nomination, Jack R. Porter, chair of KU's math department, praised his approach to helping new graduate teaching assistants become teachers: "He covers every aspect of teaching, from the basics of how to write on the board without standing in front of the writing, or handling disruptive students in the classroom, to the importance of balancing theory and applications of mathematics in lectures."

Another colleague, Fred S. Van Vleck, Chancellors Club teaching professor of mathematics, wrote: "The hallmarks of Bob's teaching have been his careful preparation and presentation. He carefully distinguishes what is important and what is not, enabling his students to see what the structure and concepts are without getting hung up in the details."

Brown teaches at all levels. In addition to mentoring new instructors, he has excelled in teaching introductory courses, calculus courses, courses for engineering and science students, courses for undergraduate majors, and courses for graduate math students. He has received teaching awards from KU Mortar Board and the Mathematics Graduate Student Association.

Brown's students said that he consistently extends himself beyond class time. Because he regards exams as part of the learning process, he reviews exams personally with each student, a practice they appreciate. "He did not return most of our tests," wrote undergraduate Kelly Bailey. "Instead, we came by his office to get them, and he would go over the exams with us individually, problem by problem."

Graduate student Rob Grondahl said that Brown notices when students are having problems, and takes extra time to conduct problem sessions outside of class. Brown's concern not only increased his own learning, Grondahl said, "but it also gave you motivation to do well because you knew you could not be anonymous in his class."

Brown joined KU's faculty in 1963 after completing his doctorate at the University of California-Berkeley, where he also earned his bachelor's degree. He has received research grants from the National Science Foundation to study eigenvalue approximations and has published studies on that topic in journals including the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Computational Mathematics and Studia Mathematica. Eigenvalues correspond to natural frequencies of vibration, figuring into the design of structures such as bridges.

Brown has been associate chairman of KU's math department since 1979 and has served on numerous university committees, including the Graduate Council and the Committee on Implementation of the Core Curriculum. For the mathematical community, he served as chair of the Kansas Section of the Mathematical Association of America.

The Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award is financed by the KU Endowment Association, an independent, non-profit organization serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management foundation for the University of Kansas. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest foundation of its type at a public university in the United States and one of the largest.