Math Department faculty, staff honored at NatSci Awards Ceremony

Faculty and staff members of the Department of Mathematics were honored by the MSU College of Natural Science (NatSci) at the NatSci Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony, which annually recognizes NatSci faculty, staff and students for their achievements and contributions, was held on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB).

Ilya Kachkovskiy, an associate professor, received the Early Career Research Award.

Early Career Research Awards are given each year to recognize NatSci tenure-track faculty for outstanding research. The award is based on success in publications, funding and other criteria that signify excellence and promise in the awardee’s field. This is the second straight year that a member of the mathematics faculty has been honored.

Ekaterina Rapinchuk, an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE) was awarded the Teacher-Scholar Award.

The Teacher–Scholar Award is given to members of the tenure system faculty from the ranks of assistant professor and associate professor who early in their careers have earned the respect of students and colleagues for their devotion to and skill in teaching. The purpose of the award is to provide recognition to the best teachers who have served at MSU for seven years or less. Rapinchuk is the seventh member of the math faculty to receive the award in the past 15 years.

Brian Chadwick, senior specialist, received the Undergraduate Academic Advisor award.

The Academic Advisor award is given annually by the NatSci Student Advisory Council to faculty or academic specialists who have shown exceptional expertise in advising graduate or undergraduate students in the college. Chadwick is the first member of the math department to receive the honor since 2006.

“Congratulations to Ilya, Ekaterina and Brian for being honored by the College of Natural Science,” said Department of Mathematics Chairperson Jeffrey Schenker. “Their dedication to the department, the university and their students are inspiring, and it's wonderful to see their efforts being recognized with these awards.”

The NatSci Awards Committee selects the faculty awards based on nominations submitted by departments and programs. Visit the NatSci website for a complete listing of awards and winners.