Submitted by Whatcom Community College
A retired Whatcom Community College (WCC) mathematics faculty member has received top honors from the Washington Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges. Doug Mooers, who retired from WCC in 2015 after nearly 30 years at the College, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the association’s spring conference.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a career of service in mathematics education for faculty with at least 15 years’ experience teaching community college mathematics. Mooers was hired in 1986 as the only full-time math instructor at WCC. Over the course of 15 years as department chair, Mooers established a department with eight full-time and 14 adjunct positions offering a rich array of classes. He secured grants that funded free student calculators, provided faculty training and created an online math center for students and instructors. He chaired or served on numerous committees and associations at the College and in the community.
“Doug Mooers was respected by his colleagues and students for his student-centered approach, passion for teaching, and love of mathematics,” said WCC President Kathi Hiyane-Brown. “He is truly deserving of this award.”
Mooers began his teaching career in the San Diego area in 1975 by teaching inner city elementary school children and conducting high school algebra classes in both Spanish and English for the children of migrant workers. He taught for the University of California Davis Pegasus program, and in 1983 taught over a microwave broadcast system originating from the Cedar Rapids campus of Kirkwood Community College in Iowa.
Mooers has been previously recognized for his commitment to math education and excellence in teaching. He received the Puget Sound Energy Award for Faculty Excellence in 1992 and the Pacific Northwest Mathematical Association of America’s Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics Award in 2004.
