Students name Paul T. Allen teacher of the year

Students have named Assistant Professor of Mathematics Paul T. Allen the 2014 Teacher of the Year for the College of Arts and Sciences. The selection was announced Wednesday, April 16, during a ceremony in Smith Hall.

Allen joined Lewis & Clark in 2010 and specializes in geometric analysis and mathematical relativity. He earned his bachelor of science degree from the University of Puget Sound, and his M.S. and PhD are from the University of Oregon.

“I’m very flattered and it’s very humbling to be honored—especially with all of the other great faculty we have here and the great students,” Allen said.

Watch his acceptance speech in this short video. 

The Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Society of Fellows—a group of students recognized, in part, for integrity, scholarship, and leadership potential—names the Teacher of the Year each year.

The other finalists this year were Katherine FitzGibbon, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities; Louis Kuo, professor of chemistry; Rebecca Lingafelter, assistant professor of theatre; and Marianna Ritchey, visiting assistant professor of humanities.

The Teacher of the Year award process is driven by students. Each year, the Pamplin Society asks all Lewis & Clark undergraduate students to submit nominations. A selection committee chooses several finalists and then requests additional student input. After debate and deliberation, the committee selects a winner. The first award was made during the 1993-94 academic year.