On August 25, the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce awarded its annual Excellence in Education Award in the higher education category to Susan Herring, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics at Sonoma State University. The award is given to those teachers who have shown "originality, commitment, concern, and the ability to inspire students to greater accomplishments." The award was received by Herring at the Education and Business Partnership meeting at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa.
Having been on the faculty at Sonoma State University for six years, Herring teaches wide-ranging math courses and workshops, advises or judges various math competitions and clubs, and has developed an internship program with companies in which students majoring in industrial math and statistics math are given the opportunity to work and gain experience. The companies include Parker-Compumotor, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Goodwill Industries.
As a teacher in the classroom, she has been described by students as "clear and concise, as well as 'fair and 'understanding"; her classes as being "inspirational". Herring was nominated for the award by School of Natural Sciences Dean Anne B. Swanson, who described her as "a dedicated, inspiring teacher and mentor."
When asked how she felt about receiving the award, Herring stated, "I know there are many qualifying professors for this award at this university and to be singled out is an honor."
For more information, call Anne Swanson at (707) 664-2171.
