Robinson Receives New Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award

Bella Rose Robinson

Vice Chair and teaching associate professor Samantha Robinson

Samantha Robinson, vice chair and teaching associate professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, will receive the 2023 Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics Excellence in Four-Year College/University Mathematics Teaching Award for making significant contributions to mathematics, statistics and data science education in the state. 

The mission of the Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics is to provide vision and leadership in improving the teaching and learning of mathematics so that every student is ensured of an equitable standards-based mathematics education, and every teacher of mathematics is ensured the opportunity to grow professionally.

This inaugural ACTM teaching award is one of six newly introduced Mathematics Teacher of the Year awards, each representing a different level of mathematics teaching e.g., Elementary School, Middle School, Secondary School, etc.

Robinson currently serves as vice chair in the Department of Mathematical Sciences but previously served as course coordinator for all sections of Principles of Statistics (STAT 2303) and Biostatistics (STAT 2823), which have an annual student enrollment of approximately 1,500-1,700 students. She drafted the Arkansas Course Transfer System learning objectives for Principles of Statistics, directly impacting all two-year and four-year institutions in the state of Arkansas, helped to align K-12 and college-level statistics and data science education objectives while serving on the Arkansas Mathematics Pathways Task Force Alignment Working Group and recently was elected to the American Statistical Association Section of Statistics and Data Science Education executive committee.

In recent years, Robinson has led groups of student researchers to conferences, presenting statistical research that has resulted in publications, oral presentations, poster presentations and numerous awards for the student researchers. Robinson has also been previously recognized for her distinguished university teaching and her contribution to mathematics, statistics and data science education at the university, regional and national levels.

Robinson has been teaching in the Department of Mathematical Sciences in a variety of different roles for approximately 10 years, with her first full-time teaching appointment in 2013.

Robinson will be the very first recipient of this newly established award at the Four-Year College/University level. She (along with other ACTM awardees) will be honored at the annual ACTM conference this fall in Little Rock.