Colorado State University Math Professor Honored with Colorado Council of Teachers’ Distinguished Service Award

A Colorado State University mathematics professor has been honored with the prestigious Forrest Fisch Award from the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Duane Clow was presented the award for outstanding service in mathematics education at the council’s annual convention Friday evening at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Clow is only the sixth person to receive the honor.

"We are very pleased that Dr. Clow has been awarded this impressive honor," said Rick Miranda, dean of the College of Natural Sciences at Colorado State. "Duane is an excellent teacher who exemplifies the quality of the Department of Mathematics and the commitment of its faculty to provide both outstanding education to students and outreach to the entire state."

Clow was on the board of the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics for 10 years and served as its vice president, membership chair, president elect, president and past president. He has been active in other state-level committees such as teacher licensure mathematics content examination (PLACE) and the Colorado Model Content for the Colorado Department of Education.

Clow began teaching mathematics at Colorado State in 1965. His courses have ranged from calculus for biologists to numerical analysis. After a long and distinguished career, Clow will teach his last class in the spring before retiring.

"I have been here for a long time and have seen many changes. When I started here, the area where the student center is was a field of cows and the Health Center was a pig farm," said Clow. "Most impressive, however, has been witnessing the mathematics department develop into one of the best educational programs in the state and the nation."

For the past seven years, Clow has been organizing a project that donates surplus Colorado State University computers to rural K-12 schools throughout Colorado. Clow has arranged for more than 800 computers to be donated to high-needs schools. Among other outreach projects, Clow has also organized the Colorado Mathematics Pacesetter Project which invites 32 K-8 teachers to Colorado State for three weeks each summer to receive training in the latest mathematical tools, techniques and methods of delivery of instruction for the K-8 classroom.

Clow was previously honored with the Mortar Board Yellow Rose Teachers Award, the Jack Cermak Advising Award and the Teacher of the Year Award presented by the Colorado State Alumni Association.

The Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a professional organization of educators, individually and collectively, dedicated to the improvement of classroom instruction in mathematics at all levels.