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Leslie Hogben

AMES, Iowa – Leslie Hogben, an Iowa State University mathematics professor with long-standing commitments to teacher education and mathematical research, has been named the new Dio Lewis Holl Chair in Applied Mathematics at ISU.

“I am very honored to be selected for the Dio Lewis Holl Chair,” said Hogben, a member of the Iowa State mathematics faculty since 1978.

The chair recognizes Hogben’s professional achievements and will provide her with supplemental annual funds to advance her teaching and research efforts in the Department of Mathematics, an academic unit in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State.

Dio Lewis Holl served as head of the Iowa State Department of Mathematics from 1945 until his death in 1954. Holl was well known for his excellent teaching skills and his interest in high quality education. He supervised 12 Ph.D. students in areas such as elasticity, fluid flows and stress analysis of materials. Holl, a World War I veteran, received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1925, the year he joined the Iowa State faculty.

Hogben said she will direct some of the chair funds to engage teachers in mathematical research. She said this might include a summer research workshop for educators in ISU’s Master of School Mathematics program.

“I have mentored people from undergraduates to college faculty in programs that engage them in mathematical research or discovery in areas that may be new to them,” she said, “and I think it would be very beneficial for high school teachers to participate in such a program.”

“As a result,” said Wolfgang Kliemann, professor and chair of mathematics, “teachers would return to their classrooms with a renewed passion for mathematics and a better understanding of very recent developments in mathematics research, which they can share with their students.”

Dio Holl’s three children created the Holl Chair: Elizabeth (Beth) Holl Bierbaum (ISU class of ’56) of Wellesley Hills, Mass.; William Holl (’52) of Surprise, Ariz., and Bruce Holl (’50) of Savannah, Ga.

Bierbaum is a member of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Committee and of the Advisory Board of the Department of Mathematics. “My brothers and I are very pleased with the choice of Dr. Hogben for our father’s chair,” Bierbaum said. “She exemplifies his love of teaching and the importance of teacher education.”

“I’m really pleased that Leslie is the next Dio Lewis Holl Chair,” said Beate Schmittmann, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Endowed faculty positions, such as the Holl Chair, are essential to enhancing Iowa State’s academic reputation and are vital to our efforts to attract and retain the best faculty. We are very grateful for the generosity of Dio Holl’s family for creating this valuable faculty position, and Leslie will help high school math teachers bring the fascination and immense impact of mathematics back to their classrooms.”

Hogben, who received her Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale University, is the editor of two journals and is secretary-treasurer of the International Linear Algebra Society. She also is the editor of the “Handbook of Linear Algebra,” which was recognized as the 2008 Outstanding Academic Title by “Choice” magazine, published by the Association of College and Research Libraries.

Hogben has made a long-standing commitment to teacher education. She has been instrumental in redesigning the current core courses in the undergraduate program for future teachers. She also has acted as adviser or co-adviser to six teachers in the Master of School Mathematics program.

Since 2007 Hogben has been associate director for diversity of the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM), an NSF-funded national institute in Palo Alto, Calif. At AIM she developed the national Research Experiences for Undergraduate Faculty program. For many summers she also has worked in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in Iowa State’s Mathematics Department.

Hailiang Liu, Iowa State professor of mathematics, was the first holder of the Dio Lewis Holl Chair.
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The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is a world-class learning and research community. Iowa State’s most academically diverse college, LAS educates students to become global citizens, providing rigorous academic programs in the sciences, humanities and social sciences within a supportive personalized learning environment. College faculty design new materials, unravel biological structures, care for the environment, and explore social and behavioral issues. From fundamental research to technology transfer and artistic expression, the college supports people in Iowa and around the world.

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Contacts:
Leslie Hogben, Mathematics, (515) 294-8168, lhogben@iastate.edu
Wolfgang Kliemann, Mathematics, (515) 294-1752, kliemann@iastate.edu
Steve Jones, Liberal Arts and Sciences Communications, (515) 294-0461, jones@iastate.edu