April 14, 2023
Oakland University Professor Anna Spagnuolo has been recognized as one of the state's three recipients of the 2023 Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year award, which recognizes the outstanding contributions and dedication exhibited by the faculty from Michigan’s 15 public universities to the education of undergraduate students. The awards are presented annually by the Michigan Association of State Universities.
Dr. Spagnuolo is professor of mathematics and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Oakland University, where she has taught since 2000. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from Oakland University and her doctorate in applied mathematics from Purdue University.
Dr. Spagnuolo teaches mathematics courses at all levels, from undergraduate courses in calculus to doctoral courses in continuous mathematics. She also learns from her former undergraduates in addition to teaching them: she took student feedback on what was difficult for them in classes and partnered with students and faculty to develop a device that could create three-dimensional shapes to help students visualize mathematics concepts. She also conducts research that aids in simulations of physical phenomena like hurricanes or diseases such as Chagas disease and cholera.
As chair of the department, she undertook a restructuring of lower-level mathematics education at OU to enhance student learning outcomes, as well as shared her instructional innovations. She also formally instituted a departmental Math Help Center for students to receive additional support and group learning. Dr. Spagnuolo’s commitment to educational equity and her deep understanding of the importance of diverse representation guide her transformative leadership in rapidly diversifying the OU Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty.
Her dedication to teaching extends beyond the Oakland University classroom. She is an undergraduate mentor on research projects for OU students as well as students at the University of Michigan and across the country, leading to published student research. Dr. Spagnuolo spearheaded the development and serves as the Executive Director of the OU Math Corps Summer Program, a program that teaches children the intricacies of mathematics and the values of kindness and integrity. Dr. Spagnuolo hosted the program online for two years before bringing it to campus last year. The OU Math Corps has had a tremendous impact on its middle school student participants, who previously performed poorly in math and are now gaining confidence in math with hopes of careers as architects, engineers, doctors, lawyers, business owners, and mathematicians.
“Dr. Anna Spagnuolo is an innovative leader who truly represents the excellence in higher education for which Michigan’s public universities are globally renowned,” said Dr. Daniel J. Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities. “She mentors and empowers not only her undergraduate students at OU but leads the way in developing math programs that support and inspire middle school students along their educational journey.”
“Dr. Spagnuolo is a distinguished researcher and scholar in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics,” said Dr. Britt Rios-Ellis, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Oakland University. “She is an exemplary teacher who is dedicated wholeheartedly to ensuring equitable student success within and beyond Oakland University. Her tireless dedication to the field of mathematics, her department, OU students and students from the surrounding communities is an example of commitment beyond the required duty of a professor and why she is deserving of Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year.”
The two other 2023 recipients include Dr. Arthur L. Martin of Saginaw Valley State University and Dr. Amy Cohn of University of Michigan.
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About MASU
The Michigan Association of State Universities serves as the coordinating board for Michigan’s 15 public universities, providing advocacy and fostering policy to maximize the collective value these institutions provide in serving the public interest and the State of Michigan.