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Gaines Receives AMATYC’s Herb Gross Award

Karen Gaines winner of the Herb Gross Award

Karen Gaines award winnerKaren Gaines, professor in mathematics at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, has received the Herb Gross Presidential Award from the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC).

The award recognizes exceptional service to AMATYC and to the mathematics education profession.

Gaines has taught mathematics at STLCC for 23 years. Throughout her career, Gaines has been an advocate for STEM education. At STLCC, she created a mathematics course on crime solving and forensic science, and collaborated with colleagues to develop interdisciplinary activities in physics, anthropology, and other science disciplines.

Gaines has provided exceptional service and leadership to AMATYC. Gaines currently serves on an AMATYC team developing curricular resources for an emerging initiative, Journey to Mars. She created classroom resources for two NASA-AMATYC collaborative grants (1996-2001), for the Dimensions program (NSF, 2009-11), and played a leadership role in the Math Works (NSF, 2001-03).

Recently, Gaines and a team of AMATYC members submitted a $3,000,000 NSF grant proposal titled Teaching for PROWESS. She helped to develop Project ACCCESS, and became AMATYC’s first Project ACCCESS coordinator after the initial grant from ExxonMobil expired. She continues to serve as a mentor for new ACCCESS Fellows.

Gaines serves on the AMATYC IMPACT Steering Committee, as a writer for the Ownership chapter and a principal editor of the entire document. Gaines also serves on the IMPACT Live! website design team, helping to set guidelines for the discussion boards, content and other features of the site.

In 2017, Gaines helped create the AMATYC Student Research League, its second student mathematics competition, and oversees all aspects of the competition.

While at STLCC, Gaines has received an Excellence Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organization Development as well as the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Before joining STLCC, Gaines was an electrical engineer with McDonnell Douglas for four years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Valparaiso University and a master's in mathematics from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

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