On August 5, 2021, Mathematical Association of America President Michael Dorff delivered his Retiring Presidential Address. He named Max Warshauer as one of 24 “Superheroes of Mathematics” for his success in educating over 4,000 young mathematicians through the Honors Summer Math Camp and Junior Summer Math Camp programs. From the citation nominating him for this distinction, he said of Max that “His work stems from a deep belief in every student’s potential to do mathematics at a high level and his conviction that every student should have opportunities to experience mathematics as a human endeavor full of opportunities for exploration, insight, and joy.” Other teaching honors received include being named as a Piper Professor, as well as a recipient of the 2001 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring (President Bush). In his talk, entitled “Inspirations in Teaching and Lessons Learned” he will talk about challenges faced in teaching and ideas for addressing these.
mens Founders Award which each year recognizes one person or program in the country for their contributions to developing future leaders in math, science, and technology. In 2008, Dr. Warshauer was recognized as a Regents Professor, the highest honor in the Texas State University System. He also received the 2008 Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2008, 2009, 2010 Everette Swinney Faculty Senate Teaching Award, and in 2010 was named a Piper Professor.
Dr. Warshauer uses grants to support Texas State undergraduates to learn about teaching. Grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF-4 grants), Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), and 4 Teacher Quality Grants through the Texas Education Agency supported teacher training that resulted in training over 660 teachers. Grants from the Kodosky Foundation and Siemens Foundation provided opportunities for disadvantaged students to attend the JSMC and HSMC. Seventeen (17) grants from the American Math Society Epsilon Fund, which each year recognizes the top 10 or so summer programs in the country, along with other sponsors and donors has provided over $100,000 each summer in scholarships for disadvantaged students to attend the Mathworks summer math camps. In total, Dr. Warshauer has raised over $11 million in grants and donations to support Mathworks programs. Dr. Warshauer has always tried to ensure that financial background is not a problem for students to attend Mathworks summer programs, while using grants to introduce Texas State undergraduates and graduate students to exciting opportunities in teaching, research, and curriculum development.
In addition to working with students in these programs, Dr. Warshauer has collaborated with colleagues to develop a state adopted middle school curriculum that embeds Mathworks’ research-based guiding principles into our undergraduate teacher preparation programs. These programs establish a mentoring network that he is proposing to scale up to include other universities, middle and high school students and teachers, along with undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates are able to get a hands-on introduction to teaching working as counselors in the JSMC, mentored by graduate students and faculty. In-service teachers learn new math content and pedagogy attending the JSMC teacher professional development, and apply what they learn with their students. Graduate students work on developing curriculum with faculty, teach and mentor undergraduates, and use the math camps as a setting to explore best practices in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Graduate student research has focused on how to support all students, and the ways that out-of-school programs can encourage and nurture middle and high school students with the foundation they will need to pursue careers in STEM.
Teaching Interests
Honors Number Theory, undergraduate and graduate math courses, particularly in algebra and combinatorics.
Research Interests
Teaching and Learning Mathematics
Gifted Education
Curriculum Development