Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan

Deborah Ball was chosen for the award this year based on the outstanding work she is doing for mathematics education in the state, as well as the nation. As a member of President Bush's National Mathematics Advisory Panel, Deborah contributed to the finished report on "...ways to foster greater knowledge of and improved performance in mathematics among American students...with respect to the conduct, evaluation and effective use of the results of research relating to proven-effective and evidence-based mathematics instruction. She worked with the National Panel to develop recommendations "...based on the best available scientific evidence." In addition to her work with the Panel as a whole, she was also the chair of the Task Group on Teachers and Teacher Education, an area she continues to contribute to in her work at University of Michigan.

Christian R. Hirsch, Western Michigan University
The Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics Executive Board is pleased to honor Dr. Christian R. Hirsch as the 2007 recipient of the MCTM Outstanding Achievement Award. Chris Hirsch has devoted his career to the improvement of mathematics education in Michigan and in the nation. His stellar accomplishments make him richly deserving of MCTM's highest recognition.

Christian R. Hirsch is currently the James H. Powell Professor of Mathematics at Western Michigan University. He earned both his B.A. (1966) and his Ph.D. (1972) in mathematics (with specialization in mathematics education) from the University of Iowa.

Dr. Hirsch is probably best known for his leadership in and innovative thinking about secondary school mathematics curriculum. For over a decade, he has led the Core-Plus curriculum development project which was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in 1999 as an "exemplary mathematics program." Core-Plus is widely acknowledged as one of the best, and probably the most accessible, "reform" mathematics curriculum at the secondary school level. Chris is now extending his influence on mathematics curriculum through his work as co-PI of the NSF-funded Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum.