UNL has named Yvonne Lai a recipient of the Harold and Esther Edgerton Junior Faculty Award.
The honor is presented each year to outstanding junior faculty members who have demonstrated creative research, extraordinary teaching abilities and academic promise. The awards will be recognized at UNL's Honors Convocation on April 24.
Lai, assistant professor of mathematics, is a leader in UNL's Discipline-Based Education Research faculty group, In her time working in mathematical knowledge for teaching, she has received two best paper awards, is the principle or co-principle investigator on three National Science Foundation grants and has an outstanding publication record.
In her teaching, Lai purposely designs courses to showcase mathematical reasoning and ways that students can improve their mathematical knowledge. Her expectations are high and students receive the support needed to meet them. Lai also advises both undergraduate and graduate research projects.
“Dr. Lai is a brilliant researcher who is well-poised to make seminal contributions to her field; she is a very strong teacher; and she is an excellent colleague,” said Judy Walker, professor and chair of mathematics.
