UKIAH, Calif. – Professor Leslie Banta of Mendocino College’s Math Department is this year’s recipient of the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges’ Leila and Simon Peskoff Award.

This prestigious award, which debuted in 2016, is presented to a community college mathematics instructor who is a fellow of the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges’ Project ACCCESS – (Advancing Community College Careers: Education, Scholarship and Service – and has contributed to the education profession in the area of mathematics taught in the first two years of college.

The award recognizes work in the scholarship of teaching, participation in professional communities, and a commitment to continued growth in mathematics.

Among these commitments include Banta’s continuing efforts in faculty professional development at the local, regional, and national levels. In addition to teaching at Mendocino College, Banta serves as treasurer for the California Mathematics Council Community Colleges and as co-chair of the statewide Academic Senate of California Community Colleges Math and Quantitative Reasoning Task Force.

“Project ACCCESS selects 20 to 25 community college math instructors from across the country to participate in their program each year,” Banta said. “I felt fortunate to be selected as an ACCCESS Fellow when I first started teaching at Mendocino College and receiving the Peskoff Award is a true honor.”

The award carries with it a lifetime membership to American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges.