Brookdale Math Prof Named New Jersey Professor of the Year

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education have named Linda Wang, professor of mathematics at Brookdale County College, Lincroft,  the 2013 New Jersey Professor of the Year. Wang was selected from more than 350 top professors in the United States.  She was honored at an awards luncheon held Nov. 14 in Washington, D.C.

Professor Wang has a bachelor’s in mathematics and a master’s in statistics from the University of California at Berkeley. She has been a full-time member of the Brookdale faculty since 1992 and joined the college as an adjunct instructor in 1990. Wang has taught basic math, elementary algebra, pre-calculus, business calculus, and statistics at the college.

Previously, she taught high school math at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls.  Prior to becoming a teacher, she was a programmer for the United State Government Department of Agriculture in California. A resident of Marlboro, she was former principal of the Jersey Shore Chinese School in Holmdel, where she also taught Chinese dance. Wang has two children, Jade and Raemin.

“I feel very honored to receive this award because I love teaching,” Wang said. “I love to be with the students and see how they grow, become successful and move on. They give me energy.”

The U.S. Professors of the Year program honors the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country. It is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.  Awards are based upon outstanding dedication to undergraduate teaching, as evidenced by impact on students, scholarly approach to teaching and learning, contributions to undergraduate education in the institution, community and profession, and support from colleagues and former students.

CASE and the Carnegie Foundation have been partners in offering the U.S. Professors of the Year awards program since 1981. Additional support for the program is received from Phi Beta Kappa, which sponsors an evening congressional reception, the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education and other higher education associations.

This year, a state Professor of the Year was recognized in 36 states. CASE assembled two preliminary panels of judges to select finalists. The Carnegie Foundation then convened the third and final panel, which selected four national winners. CASE and Carnegie select state winners from top entries resulting from the judging process. Wang was selected from faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center that supports needed transformations in American education through tighter connections between teaching practice, evidence of student learning, the communication and use of this evidence, and structured opportunities to build knowledge.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in London, Singapore and Mexico City, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education is a professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and other areas.