Excellence in Teaching, 2016
Mathematics
Donald Plante, lecturer of mathematics at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, has been awarded the college's 2016 Teaching Excellence Award.
UNH's Teaching Excellence Award recognizes faculty who motivate, challenge and inspire students to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Donald's glowing reputation among his students and colleagues earned him this year's award.
In his four years at UNH Manchester, Donald Plante has transformed the way students experience mathematics.
Donald brings experience and enthusiasm to the classroom, igniting interest in a subject that many struggle with. Many of his students echo that it's his passion for math that inspires them to succeed. Donald uses a flipped classroom approach in many of his courses, assigning brief video lectures as homework so classroom time can be dedicated to hands-on exercises and projects.
As one student describes, "The structure really allowed students to raise and explore a variety of interesting, real-world applications and questions."
In addition to teaching, Donald is an active researcher in the area of fractal geometry. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Tufts University.
About this Award
Each year, the University selects a small number of its outstanding faculty for special recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service. Awards for Excellence in Teaching are given in each college and school, and University-wide awards recognize public service, research, teaching, and engagement.
