OU Mathematics Professor Receives Prestigious Award

Eddie Cheng, professor of Mathematics at Oakland University, recently received the Distinguished Professor Award from the President’s Council, State Universities of Michigan. The prestigious award acknowledges the superior contributions and achievements of faculty members at Michigan’s public universities. Award nominees are evaluated based on stringent criteria regarding academic achievements, interaction with students and community involvement.

Cheng, one of three recipients for this year’s awards, joined Oakland’s Mathematics Department in 1997. Before coming to OU, Cheng earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a Master of Mathematics and Ph.D. in Combinatorics and Optimization from the University of Waterloo in Canada. From there, he went on to work with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada while serving as a part-time lecturer at the George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University.

While at OU, Cheng has successfully taken on the responsibility of the Summer Mathematics Institute. The institute is dedicated to providing high school juniors and seniors from southeast Michigan with the opportunity to participate in an exciting mathematics program. “The institute gives me the opportunity to help shape the mathematical and scientific mind of the next generation,” Cheng explained. “I hope that students will get a feel for what college is about and the math institute will help them in choosing a career.”

The institute stimulates mathematical development, interaction with university faculty mentors, and encourages team participation all while having fun in an academic atmosphere. The program is a day camp, running June through August, and awarding its 36 participants college credit at the end of the program.

Cheng is also a member of the examination committee of the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition, an annual state-wide competition for high school students, as well as a member of the editorial board and an associate editor of the journal Network. He has authored and co-authored nearly 50 research papers and in 2007 received the Mathematical Association of America (Michigan Section) Distinguished Teaching Award.

“Professor Cheng has been a vital member of our Mathematics Department,” Ron Sudol, dean, College of Arts and Sciences said. “He brings an energy and enthusiasm for education that infects the department and motivates those around him.”