Featured Speaker
Edward Burger
Edward Burger, Francis
Christopher Oakley Third
Century Professor of
Mathematics at Williams
College
A nationally award-winning teacher who brings mathematics to life through his exuberance and wit will share his insights on critical thinking and creativity during the keynote address for Alma College’s 17th annual Honors Day.
Edward Burger, author of “The Five Elements of Effective Thinking” (2012), speaks at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 in the Remick Heritage Center, Presbyterian Hall. Admission is free and open to the public; no ticket is required.
Honors Day activities continue Thursday, April 4. More than 100 Alma College students will share their original research, creativity and talent with an audience of their peers in morning and afternoon sessions at various locations around campus. The 2013 winners of the Student Barlow and Ronald O. Kapp Honors prizes will be announced at 4:30 p.m. in the Remick Heritage Center lobby.
Burger, whose research interests include number theory and abstract algebra, is the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Mathematics at Williams College and president-elect of Southwestern University in Texas. A prolific author and speaker, he also is considered a leader for his innovative work in developing electronic textbooks and multimedia Internet lectures.
“He is one of those amazing people who seemingly has more than 24 hours in his day; he does so many things well,” says Tim Sipka, associate professor of mathematics at Alma College. “He teaches full-time, writes books and articles, produces educational videos, and is a phenomenal speaker who engages his audiences. His enthusiasm and energy level are beyond most humans.”
Named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012, Burger was highlighted as a “Hero in Education” by Microsoft Education Worldwide and was a recipient of the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching from Baylor University.
In addition, Burger was named a “Game Changer” by The Huffington Post, which saluted 100 “innovators, visionaries, mavericks and leaders who are reshaping their fields and changing the world.”
“Edward Burger is a truly gifted teacher, but he’s also a great thinker,” says Sipka. “I thoroughly enjoyed his latest book, in which he discusses practical strategies for becoming a more effective thinker and problem solver.”
Burger has written 12 books, including “The Five Elements of Critical Thinking” (2012), “Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz” (2005) and “The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking” (2004).
His numerous educational videos include the 24-lecture video series “Zero to Infinity: A History of Numbers.” In 2011, he received a Distinguished Achievement Award for mobile device application from The Association of Educational Publishers.
Burger also frequently appears on radio and TV programs. He starred in the “Mathletes” episode of NBC’s “Science of the Winter Olympics” series shown on the Today Show and throughout the 2010 Winter Olympic coverage. The episode won a Telly Award.
