Ken Golden receives Hatch Prize in Teaching

Ken Golden, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mathematics, College of Science, was awarded the Calvin S. and JaNeal N. Hatch Prize in Teaching in February of this year.

From his nomination, praise describes Golden's unique teaching style, "Having more than 40 years of classroom experience to perfect the art of teaching, 80-plus publications in academic and scientific journals, more than 500 invited lectures and having presented three times in front of the United States Congress, Dr. Golden has amplified what it means to be a teacher by not only being at the top of his field but also by creating a safe and inclusive environment where students can be challenged to reach their full potential."

The Calvin S. and JaNeal N. Hatch Prize in Teaching is provided by an endowment given to the University of Utah by Mr. and Mrs. Hatch.  The purpose of the prize is to recognize an outstanding teacher at the University of Utah and according to the award committee, to "make a contribution to teaching, the dissemination of knowledge, and to improve our ability to communicate with each other."  The Committee recognizes aspects of teaching such as:  increased learning by students, unusual motivation, and stimulation of students to seek greater learning, evidence of unusual concern for students, development of innovative methods, introduction and inventiveness of new courses, noteworthy expertise in a given field of study, effectiveness of presentation, and other exemplary contributions to university education.

Golden was recently featured in Popular Mechanics magazine under the headline, "How Atomic-Scale Geometry Might Shape the Future of Electronics."  The article references his research with moiré patterns and how new findings connect to the history of two concepts:  aperiodic geometry and twistronics.  Work affiliated with Golden and his research is referenced in publications such as Science Daily, Nature, and now Popular Mechanics, exemplifying the broad application of Golden's-led research.

Earlier this year, Golden delivered the opening remarks during the Wilkes Climate Science & Policy Summit held at the U of U Alumni House.  Last year, Golden was named as a University of Utah Presidential Societal Impact Scholar Awardee.  Dr. Golden and four other scholars are a select group of faculty recognized as experts in their respective fields and disciplines; they share and translate their scholarship, research, creative activities and ideas with opinion leaders, policy makers, the public, and other audiences outside the university and in ways that can transform society.

From his Wikipedia page Golden is referenced as the "Indiana Jones of Mathematics" for his research and the fields his work impacts.  He is widely known for his work in  modeling sea ice and its role in the climate system.  He blends methodology including mathematics and theoretical physics to advance how sea ice is represented in global climate models and contributing to the more accurate projections of the fate of Earth's sea ice packs and the marine ecosystems they support.  Eighteen expeditions to conduct sea ice field experiments inform, validate, and guide development of his models, and have enabled him to observe firsthand the processes driving change in the polar regions.