Dr. Stephen R. West of SUNY College at Geneseo has been selected by the Seaway Section to receive The Seaway Section Distinguished Teaching Award. Professor West received the BS in Secondary Education-Mathematics from SUNY College at Oswego in 1968, the MS in Teaching-Mathematics Education from Rutgers University in 1974, and the PhD in Mathematics Education from the U. of Texas at Austin in 1979. Before pursuing advanced degrees, Stephen West began his distinguished teaching career in the high school and middle school classrooms. Since completing the PhD, he has been on the mathematics faculty at SUNY College at Geneseo.
His energy and enthusiasm for mathematics and teaching are evident to his students. He encourages the timid, captivates the average, and challenges the best. He has the ability to inspire all students and bring out the best in them, and in addition he is known to be a demanding instructor. Stephen West's influence on mathematics education extends far beyond the campus at Geneseo. His record of leadership and service to all aspects of mathematics education indicates a tireless dedication to the profession. He recently served as President of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State and is currently Editor of the AMTNYS Journal. He serves as a consultant to the NY State Department of Education (Mathematics Bureau). He is active in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the Mathematical Association of America. Dr. West's skills as an expositor are also evident in ""Roads to Geometry"", which he coauthored with E. Wallace. In 1991 he received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching from the State University of New York.