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MEDIA RELEASE — August 19, 2014

Canadian Mathematical Society

MEDIA RELEASE
August 19, 2014

EXCEPTIONAL MATHEMATICS EDUCATOR RECOGNIZED

Frédéric Gourdeau to receive CMS 2014 Adrien Pouliot Award

Prof. Frédéric Gourdeau (Université Laval)

OTTAWA — The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is pleased to announce that Professor Frédéric Gourdeau of Université Laval is the recipient of the 2014 Adrien Pouliot Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to mathematics education in Canada. The award will be presented at the 2014 CMS Winter Meeting in Hamilton.

The Adrien Pouliot Award was inaugurated in 1995 to recognize individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to mathematics education in Canada. The award is named for Adrien Pouliot, the second CMS President, who taught mathematics at Université Laval for 50 years and was instrumental in developing Laval’s engineering and science faculty.

“The work of Frédéric Gourdeau in mathematics education spans all levels from the elementary classroom to graduate teaching,” said Peter Taylor, Chair of the CMS Education Committee, “and from the very active Canadian mathematics education community to the world stage, on which he was invited to give a prestigious regular lecture at the 2012 International Congress in Seoul.”

“Above all, Frédéric Gourdeau’s unparalleled commitment to mathematics instruction, especially in teacher education programs, is what sets him apart and what makes his contribution radiate well beyond the confines of Université Laval,” said Bernard R. Hodgson (Université Laval), who himself won the Adrien Pouliot Award in 1998.

Brimming with passion and energy, Frédéric Gourdeau has played a key part in several large-scale projects in Canada, including the launch of the magazine Accromath in 2006. He also founded the Association québécoise des jeux mathématiques (AQJM) in 1997 and has been its president from day one. The AQJM’s annual math contest is Quebec’s most popular.

“Frédéric has played a leading role in creating closer ties between those who practise math and those who teach it,” adds Bernard Hodgson in his candidate proposal. Professor Gourdeau has served as president of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group and, since 2011, has been Canada’s representative at the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction.

Frédéric Gourdeau holds a PhD in mathematics from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, is a full professor at Université Laval and has been chair of the institution’s mathematics department since 2010.

For more information, please contact:

Peter Taylor
Queen's University
Chair, CMS Education Committee
Canadian Mathematical Society
613-533-2434
chair-edc@cms.math.ca
or Jessica St-James
Communications and Special Projects Officer
Canadian Mathematical Society
(613) 722-2662 ext. 728
commsp@cms.math.ca

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)

The CMS is the national mathematics organization whose goal is to promote the advancement, discovery, learning, and application of mathematics. The Society's activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including: scientific meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics education at all levels. The CMS annually sponsors mathematics awards and prizes that recognize outstanding achievements.