Michael Starbird
Encyclopedia
Michael P. Starbird is a Professor of Mathematics and a University of Texas Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin
. He received his B.A from Pomona College
and his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
Starbird’s mathematical specialty is topology
. He joined the University of Texas at Austin as a faculty member in 1974, and served as an associate dean in Natural Sciences from 1989 to 1997. He serves on the national education committees of the Mathematical Association of America
and the American Mathematical Society
.
He has accepted visiting positions at the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton
, The University of California
at San Diego, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
. He is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Starbird seeks to make sophisticated mathematics accessible to the public.
His recent book, The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking, coauthored with Edward B. Burger
, was acclaimed by the American Mathematical Monthly
as possibly the best math book for nonmathematicians it had ever reviewed. The book won a 2001 Robert W. Hamilton Book Award
.
:
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He received his B.A from Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
and his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
Starbird’s mathematical specialty is topology
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
. He joined the University of Texas at Austin as a faculty member in 1974, and served as an associate dean in Natural Sciences from 1989 to 1997. He serves on the national education committees of the Mathematical Association of America
Mathematical Association of America
The Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
and the American Mathematical Society
American Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
.
He has accepted visiting positions at the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, The University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
at San Diego, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
. He is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Starbird seeks to make sophisticated mathematics accessible to the public.
His recent book, The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking, coauthored with Edward B. Burger
Edward Burger
Edward B. Burger is Professor of Mathematics and the Lissack Professor for Social Responsibility and Personal Ethics at Williams College. He is currently also the Robert Foster Cherry Professor for Great Teaching at Baylor University. In February 2011, he was named Vice Provost of Strategic...
, was acclaimed by the American Mathematical Monthly
American Mathematical Monthly
The American Mathematical Monthly is a mathematical journal founded by Benjamin Finkel in 1894. It is currently published 10 times each year by the Mathematical Association of America....
as possibly the best math book for nonmathematicians it had ever reviewed. The book won a 2001 Robert W. Hamilton Book Award
Robert W. Hamilton Book Award
The Professor Robert W. Hamilton Book Author Award is presented annually to the best book-length publication by a staff or faculty member of the University of Texas at Austin...
.
Teaching awards
- Mathematical Association of AmericaMathematical Association of AmericaThe Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
Deborah and Franklin Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of MathematicsDeborah and Franklin Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of MathematicsThe Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics are awards given by the Mathematical Association of America to recognize college or university teachers "who have been widely recognized as extraordinarily successful and whose teaching...
, 2007 - Minnie Stevens Piper Professorship
- Jean Holloway Award for Teaching Excellence
- President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award
- Friar Society Centennial Teaching Fellowship
Courses for The Teaching Company
Starbird has developed several courses for The Teaching CompanyThe Teaching Company
The Teaching Company is a Chantilly, Virginia company that produces recordings of lectures by university professors and high-school teachers. It sells the courses in CD, DVD, MPEG-4, and MP3 formats.- Background :...
:
- Change and Motion: Calculus Made Clear
- Joy of Thinking: The Beauty and Power of Classical Mathematical Ideas
- Meaning from Data: Statistics Made Clear
- What Are the Chances? Probability Made Clear
External links
- Michael Starbird's homepage
- Profile at University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
website - Profile at the Mathematics Genealogy ProjectMathematics Genealogy ProjectThe Mathematics Genealogy Project is a web-based database for the academic genealogy of mathematicians. As of September, 2010, it contained information on approximately 145,000 mathematical scientists who contribute to "research-level mathematics"...
website - Lecture: To Infinity and Beyond