by Mark Schaaf
Daily Lobo
Michael Nakamaye is used to getting prestigious awards.
The mathematics professor received teacher of the year at Harvard in 1999, five years after completing his doctorate.
He then came to UNM that year and won the same honor in 2003.
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He was awarded the 2006 Presidential Teaching Fellow on Wednesday as part of an awards ceremony at the SUB honoring outstanding teachers.
"It's very nice to know that students appreciate you," Nakamaye said. "Seeing how excited they (students) get when their able to do the mathematics they weren't able to do before, that's the real reward from teaching."
The ceremony also featured awards for outstanding teaching assistants, outstanding adjunct faculty teachers of the year and outstanding teachers of the year.
The awards are funded by an endowment from Cyrene Mapel, a former UNM regent.
Nakamaye will carry the Presidential Teaching Fellow title for the rest of his career at UNM. The award also adds $1,000 to his annual salary.
Nakamaye said he has always been interested in math and wanted to become a professor because too many teachers turn students off from math.
"When I was in school, I was very dissatisfied with the teachers I had," he said. "I wanted to do something different so people could experience something better, and not have it be a turn-off, which is what it is for a lot of people in the math classroom."
He completed his undergraduate work at Gonzaga University before moving to Harvard to pursue his doctorate. He said he came to UNM to get out of the chilly temperatures up north.
Presidential Teaching Fellow candidates must complete an application that includes recommendations from students and other faculty. They also write a statement about their teaching philosophy, and some of the materials they use in the classroom.
A few years ago, Nakamaye was on the committee that reviews each file and determines the winner. He said all the candidates were strong.
"I figured it's a lot of work to put this together, and my first instinct was that it's a big waste of my time, because I'm not going to win," he said with a laugh.
Acting UNM President David Harris presented the award to Nakamaye. Harris said because of outstanding faculty, the University has been able to pull together after the Zimmerman Library fire.
Provost Reed Dasenbrock also spoke and presented the rest of the awards.
He said good faculty members are essential for helping students' transition from high school. He added that many students come from small communities to UNM.
"Great teaching comes in a variety of different forms," Dasenbrock said. "I think it's fair to say the reason why students do so well is because of the kinds of people here today."
