Wentworth earns Lifetime Achievement Award

Wentworth, a North Dakota native who earned her doctorate from the University of Minnesota and joined the CSC faculty in 2004, said she tries to make mathematics fun for her students so they will look at math as being fun with their students.

“I’m honored by the award. It is heartwarming to hear elementary students say they like math and have fun in their mathematics classes. I want to see elementary students become good at mathematics and become good problem solvers.”

Dr. Joel Hyer, dean of the School of Business, Mathematics, and Science, said the award is well-deserved.

“For years, she has led a major partnership with Chadron Public Schools, in which her students conduct one-on-one and small group tutoring sessions at the local public schools. Since 2013, Dr. Wentworth and her students have also engaged elementary students and their families in Hay Springs through Family Math Night. She is a wonderful colleague and a wonderful human being,” Hyer said.

Wentworth was nominated by Deb Romanek, a math education specialist with the Nebraska Department of Education, who said she has enjoyed and valued her interactions with Wentworth over the years, including two terms on the NATM Executive Board as College Math Education representative.

“Beth has certainly devoted her career to the teaching of mathematics to future teachers. Beth has taken on a number of leadership roles over the years. One example I shared at the award luncheon was that she was one of the 12 teacher leaders for a pilot project that became the model for the statewide Nebraska Mathematics Professional Development Series which impacted thousands of K-12 math teachers,” Romanek said.

Romanek said Wentworth has regularly involved her CSC students in her travel to workshops, conferences and meetings where she shares her passion about mathematics education and expertise with others.