NOMINATION FORM FOR THE NRHH DEB NOVAK ADVISOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Deb Novak Advisor Achievement Award is awarded to an Advisor who: 1.) Has served as an advisor of an on-campus organization for a least one school year. 2.) Has demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty with the organization that they are advising. 3.) Has made a lasting contribution to the organization that they are advising. 4.) Graduate advisors may also be nominated. 5.) Nominations for this award can be done by any student leader. Nominees Name: Dr. Gabriel Matney Nominees Email: gmatney@bgsu.edu

1.) How has the nominee helped you personally as well as helped the organization in which he/she advises? (500 words maximum. Dr. Matney is one of the advisors for Bowling Green Council of Teachers of Mathematics (BGCTM). For the past two years, he has been collaborating with professors at Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University (KPRU) in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. Through this collaboration, he witnessed a Math Camp held by preservice math education students from KPRU. He was inspired to bring this opportunity to BGSU students. Thats where I come in. As a member of BGCTM and being a math education major, I joined Dr. Matney and eight other students on a Study Abroad Trip to Thailand.

During this trip, I participated in the Math Camp hosted by KPRU students. I also gained experience facilitating math games in fifth and eighth grade classrooms at Thai schools. I observed math classrooms in a regular elementary school and in an international high school. These experiences greatly influenced my teaching philosophy and passion for education. But the learning did not stop in the classrooms, but rather continued at every point of the trip. Dr. Matney strived to

share with us the Thai culture and history by planning visits to historical sites across the country. He encouraged us to try new things and let go of our own cultural biases.

His encouraging words and supportive demeanor helped me loosen up and try new things. I ate food I would have never looked twice at like the eye of a fish or coconut milk. I tried traditional and step dancing. He also encouraged us to respect the Thai culture by practicing their social norms. I took shoes off when in a place of reverence, like temples, restaurants and classrooms. I wore jeans or long pants during ceremonies or dignified events. In these new experiences, I grew to respect the Thai culture. Dr. Matney guided me on my journey in Thailand by creating an open environment where I could grow in my beliefs and values after seeing another history and religion.

Since our trip attended the Math Camp at KPRU, we became the leaders of the Math Camp here at BGSU through BGCTM. Dr. Matney believes in student leadership and giving all the power to the students. He supervised the two codirectors and four coordinators, Energizer, Math Rally, Brain Challenge, and Math Art, insuring we had everything we needed. I was able to bounce by ideas of the energizers throughout the day on him to ensure they would work for our student population.

Dr. Matney inspired a shared vision in the nine members of the Thailand trip, as well as BGCTM members and others outside of the organization. The Math Camp currently has over 40 volunteers of various education concentrations striving to make the Math Camp a success. His passion has motivated us work together to create a Math Camp to share with the Bowling Green and Toledo community. He saw the beauty of math creating friendships through the Math Camp at KPRU. I am pleased to see help create that same beauty in our own community. Word Count: 498

2.) How has the nominee given to BGSU and implemented the core values by advising his/her organization? (500 words maximum) We respect one another and foster diversity and a culture of inclusion. While in Thailand, Dr. Matney positively encouraged us to embrace the culture of the Thai people and evaluate, analyze, and reflect upon our own cultural biases. While we were there to collaborate with the KPRU students and think of ways to implement the mathematics camp here in the United States, Dr. Matney made us feel as though we were also there to learn about, appreciate, and surround ourselves with the culture of the Thai people. He warned us not to judge the Thai culture without first understanding why they do what they do, and to identify our own personal barriers that initially created the internal conflict of cultures. While I was expecting to learn mostly about mathematics instruction and the camp, I believe I learned more about their culture and values in regards to social interactions, education, and society as a whole.

As we prepared for the Math Camp, we wanted to preserve the Thai culture in the energizer dances. Dr. Matney suggested keeping the Thai lyrics and dance moves in order to respect the Thai people and sharing the diversity with student participating in the Math Camp. We collaborate with each other and our community partners in the region, the State of Ohio, the nation and the world. BGCTM is a part of the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM). BGCTM offers trips to conferences held by OCTM. BGCTM is also a part of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Dr. Matney will be presenting on BGCTMs Math Camp at the OCTM Conference next fall.

He also collaborates with the math education program at Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University (KPRU) in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. He has attended multiple conferences in Thailand and hosted two Thai professors while they

visited BGSU. He believes in the power of collaboration with other cultures, because we can learn from each others successes and failures. We promote intellectual and personal growth through curricular and cocurricular efforts. Dr. Matney believes we are people first and students second. We are always learning as life-long students, but that learning influences our personal growth. We foster an environment of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurism. Dr. Matney brought a brand new idea from Thailand to BGSU. He inspired others to be innovative as they prepare for the BGCTM Math Camp. He hopes to be able to have a pilot Math Camp for others to model after. We expect excellence in all we do. Dr. Matney understands that we all make mistakes. He understands that this is the first Math Camp hosted by BGCTM. He understands the pitfalls. Yet, he encourages us to persevere and pursue excellence in our tasks and vision of the Math Camp. He pushes us to do the best we can for this Math Camp, while offering support for our initiatives.

Word Count: 499

3.) Please give an overall statement about the nominee that could best describe why he/she is deserving of the award. (500 words maximum) I believe Dr. Matney definitely goes above and beyond what is expected of an organization's advisor. Dr. Matney had a vision that BGCTM could play an influential role in hosting a mathematics camp similar to the one held at KPRU. This sparked his desire to bring nine other students with him to have the opportunity to experience this camp first-hand. He allowed these students an opportunity to engage with a culture on the other side of the world, which would not have been possible without his leadership. Hopefully, the Math Camp will

continue to be an event hosted by BGCTM and shared with other interested universities and communities.

He guided members of BGCTM and others to grow as educators, leaders, and persons. Dr. Matney truly values the potential of his students and fosters their potential by providing opportunities from them to use their skills and gain experience. Dr. Matney deserves this award for his sincere passion for BGCTM and its members.

Word Count: 161