James E. Elander Mathematics Teaching Endowed Scholarship

Scholarship Purpose: James Emmett Elander lived a life of mathematics education. Jim obtained an undergraduate degree from Western Illinois University and a Masters degree from Illinois State in the 1950s. His wife, Marjorie "Midge" Elander (née Paulsen), obtained an undergraduate degree from Illinois State, also. Jim was an Associate Professor at North Central College during the 1980s. Prior to his college professorship, he taught at Oak Park and River Forest High School (Oak Park, Illinois) for 25 years and was head of the school's Mathematics Department for many of those years. Jim's first textbook consolidated the conventional two years of high school geometry into one year allowing time for high school seniors to start Calculus --> Geometry For Decision Making was published by South Western in 1992. Jim brought that approach to his own self-published Plane and Solid Geometry Essentials With Everyday Decision Making, 2022. This book and five other self-published math books, Basic High School Math Review, TGIF Math, Team Working for Better Math Students, A Book For Thinkers, and Math Bridges To A Better Future, are all available through Xlibris Publishing. Jim valued applied geometry to educate people in critical thinking. The James E. Elander Mathematics Teaching Endowed Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to a graduate student with concentration in secondary mathematics education to be used for tuition and book expenses. This scholarship also honors the Illinois State Mathematics professor, Dr. B.R. Ulsvick under whom Jim studied and for whom Midge, Jim's wife, worked as secretary.

Major: Secondary Education

Class Level: Masters, Doctorate.

Department: MathematicsCollege Of Arts And Sciences

Miscellaneous Information

• Student will be selected based on the admission requirements of the program and the statement of purpose written as part of their graduate school application.
• Students who receive the scholarship should commit one of the following:
• Giving a presentation to a meeting of math faculty and students or to an undergraduate math education class on "Why Teach Geometry?" based on the 13th National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Yearbook, The Nature of Proof (1938) by Harold P. Fawcett.
• Giving a presentation about any mathematician of historical significance (including those featured in E.T. Bell's book, Men of Mathematics,) to a meeting of math faculty and students or to an undergraduate math class.
• Presenting scholarly works at a professional conference.

Additional Information

How to Apply