Professor's decades of work honored in new book

A new book celebrates the work and teachings of longtime College of Education mathematics professor Jeremy Kilpatrick, and includes essays from several COE faculty members.

["Pursuing Excellence in Mathematics Education: Essays in Honor of Jeremy Kilpatrick" (Springer, 2015, $129)](http://www.springer.com/education+%26+lang uage/mathematics+education/book/978-3-319-11951-9) delves into the influence and legacy Kilpatrick has had on the field of mathematics and expands on his ideas. With more than 40 years of research and education to his credit, Kilpatrick's work in the areas of problem solving, mathematical ability and proficiency and curriculum is now part of the standard set of references used throughout the profession.

The book includes selected groundbreaking essays by Kilpatrick, as well as perspectives from colleague James Wilson and former students Joao Pedro da Ponte, professor and director of the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon; Pat Herbst, mathematics professor at the University of Michigan School of Education; Thomas Lingefjard, professor of mathematics at the School of Education within the University of Gothenburg in Sweden; and Wilma Mesa, assistant professor of education at the University of Michigan.

Wilson, who was classmates with Kilpatrick at Stanford, wrote the first chapter in the book from the perspective of both a colleague and friend.

"I came to value the work of Jeremy Kilpatrick in many ways over the years,"writes Wilson. "First, he has been and continues to be a mentor as well as a colleague. Second, he personifies excellence and scholarship. Third, he is a great colleague, always carrying more than his share of the load. Fourth, he inspires students and colleagues to have high expectations of themselves. Fifth, he is a friend and neighbor, always supportive. We have all been especially blessed that he has been at the University of Georgia to work with us."

Kilpatrick joined the faculty at UGA in 1975, coming from Columbia University Teachers College. He holds degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University, with an honorary doctorate from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. He was appointed Regents Professor in 1993 and received Fulbright awards for work in New Zealand, Spain, Colombia and Sweden.

"Dr. Kilpatrick is one of those rare individuals who can size up a complex situation and ask hard questions that make you really think about the situation from multiple angles," says Denise Spangler, associate dean for faculty and staff services and former head of the mathematics and science education department. "He has lived much of the history of the field of mathematics education, but I am nonetheless always impressed by his ability to take current situations and connect them to historical situations in mathematics, education, or mathematics education in ways that help you see where history is repeating itself and where we have made progress. He is masterful at crafting cogent arguments that draw on decades of scholarship and that bring a voice of reason to contemporary issues in the field."

The book is available from Springer.com