MEDIA RELEASE — July 9, 2008

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Canadian Mathematical Society

Harley Weston to receive the
2008 CMS Adrien Pouliot Award

Ottawa, Ontario

The Canadian Mathematical Society is pleased to announce that Professor Harley Weston of the University of Regina is the winner of the 2008 Adrien Pouliot Award. Dr. Weston will receive the award at the Society’s 2008 Winter Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario.

The award is an acknowledgment of Dr. Weston's outstanding contributions to mathematics education at the local, regional, and national levels. Harley has devoted his career to the advancement of mathematics and mathematics education in his home province (Saskatchewan), in Canada and beyond. Key among his contributions has been his creation of Math Central Website and his outreach to Aboriginal communities.

It was Harley’s vision and dedication that led to the creation of the vital educational website Math Central, and since its inception this site has been tirelessly maintained by him. Math Central is a collection of internet services designed for teachers and students of mathematics at the K-12 level and which currently averages more than 120,000 hits per day. In addition to maintaining the site Harley is active in responding to students, teachers and the general public who send mathematics questions to Math Central.

Throughout his career, Harley has recognized the importance of mathematics education to Aboriginal students. To this end, he has been and continues to be engaged in many activities that examine mathematical concepts inherent in Aboriginal culture and life. In 2006, he participated in and made a presentation at the BIRS workshop on First Nations Mathematics; he introduced Aboriginal content into his classes; and coauthored an electronic note on Frieze designs in Indigenous Art. Further, he was involved in several educational trips to Aboriginal communities and schools.

Among his other contributions is Math on the Move. This initiative takes the activity based model of the University of Regina Math Camp and delivers it to schools outside the major urban centers in Saskatchewan. Harley was also instrumental in developing and delivering an online version of a finite Math course which is specifically designed for aspiring elementary teachers.

For most of his career, Harley Weston was a leader in opening lines of communication between K-12 students and teachers, professors of Education, Aboriginal communities and professional mathematicians. “Throughout, his approach has been informed by a respect for the beauty and utility of Mathematics as a discipline, and by a desire to ensure that more people are able to benefit from the fruits of that discipline.” says Dr. Nader Mobed, Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Regina.

Dr. Weston received his honors B.Sc. in 1962 from McMaster University. He then completed his M.Sc. (1964) and Ph.D. (1967) degrees at Lehigh University. In 1967, he joined the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Regina where he stayed until his retirement in 2005. He is Professor Emeritus at the Department Mathematics and Statistics, University of Regina. Dr. Weston is the recipient of the 1992, University of Regina Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the 2008 PIMS Education prize.

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