Daniel Mansfield
Daniel Mansfield is a Lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at UNSW. Daniel has been called the ‘Indiana Jones’ of mathematics, combining the latest technology in teaching with his research in ancient Babylonian mathematics.
Daniel began his academic career in 2015 as an associate lecturer at UNSW. Through his online teaching Daniel has given customized, instantaneous and meaningful feedback to the entire cohort of first-year mathematics students, and he has done so in a way that has simultaneously improved student outcomes and reduced the cost of delivery.
Daniel has been described as an inspiring lecturer with boundless energy.
Citation: For an outstanding impact upon student engagement and learning. For inspiring his students with his enthusiasm, and in particular for incorporating his ancient Mesopotamian research into his lessons that add a unique cultural perspective which makes even the oldest mathematics seem new again. In addition, for his relentless efforts in online teaching that have resulted in innovative, bespoke and customised applications that reach the entire cohort of first year mathematics students at UNSW. This has led to a demonstrated improvement in both student satisfaction and outcomes that has been recognised by UNSW and the wider community.
Glen Wheeler
Glen Wheeler is a Lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics at the University of Wollongong. After graduating from his PhD in 2010, he was awarded research fellowships by the Deutsche Akademischer Austausch Dienst and the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation to work at the Freie Universitaet in Berlin, and the Otto-von-Guericke Universitaet in Magdeburg, Germany. In 2012 he returned to a position of Research Associate at the University of Wollongong and was promoted to Lecturer in 2015.
Glen has led the transformation of the curriculum at UoW, designing a three-year mathematics program that is cohesive and well-motivated, not only in terms of content and progression, but importantly in terms of developing communication skills, capacity for self-directed investigation and learning, and teamwork skills. Glen developed the subject MATH100, ‘First Year Experience in Mathematics’, a flagship of the new curriculum. MATH100 gives students a first taste of what it is to be a mathematician &mddash; not just calculations and techniques, but the experience of encountering, analysing and answering a question, and effectively communicating their solution, all in collaboration with other mathematicians and through reference to mathematical literature. Head of School, Aidan Sims, called it ‘a remarkably powerful approach to inducting students into a mathematics degree’.
Glen strives to build mathematical communities, promoting a sense of belonging and purpose in his students. One of his trademarks is integrating aspects of modern educational methods into traditional subjects, including social constructivism, problem-based learning, and flipped classrooms.
Citation: For leadership and innovation that has transformed the teaching of mathematics, including the creation of a first-year experience in mathematics, that empowers students via immersive, scaffolded, social, experiential learning.