Each scholar is appointed for a two-year period. Only 120 U.S. professors will be named fellows during the five-year life of the program. It's really a University award. The award is gratifying because teachers are seldom recognized for the good things they do, especially math teachers. Repsher says that lack of recognition is directly related to the way our society regards the discipline of mathematics.
Parents are that way, too.
That attitude, Repsher believes, is a major reason why so many bright and motivated students across the country fail to succeed in the study of mathematics, which in turn closes the doors to many promising careers. To test that belief, Repsher will use her fellowship to formally research the reasons behind the dropout and failure rates in first-year mathematics courses. Now that we can have a coherent assessment program, we can demonstrate it.