Posted Saturday 31 May 2008

Steve Thornton received a BH Neumann Award at a function at the Scarth Room, University House, Australian National University, on Saturday 31 May 2008. The Award was presented by AMT Executive Director Professor Peter Taylor.

Peter Taylor presents the award to Steve.

Steve with the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians Problems Committee.

Steve has had a significant impact on mathematics teaching and learning in Australia, in a number of ways, including:

• He has served more than ten years as a member of the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians Problems Committee.
• He has served various terms as President and Secretary of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, and also held various offices with the Mathematics Association of South Australia and the Canberra Mathematics Association.
• He developed the Australian Mathematics Teacher Enrichment Program, run through the University of Canberra, which enabled qualified mathematics teachers to help students who wished to pursue further mathematics study.

Born in Birmingham, England, Steve arrived in Australia with his parents at the age of six, undergoing primary and secondary schooling at Elizabeth. He went on to study Honours mathematics and chemistry, and then obtained teacher qualifications at the Adelaide College of Advanced Education.

Steve's introduction to teaching was to go to Papua New Guinea in 1973 and teach in a local high school near Rabaul, where as a first year teacher he was made head of mathematics and science. In Papua New Guinea he also played for the New Guinea Islands in the national cricket championship.

Back in South Australia Steve first taught at Allendale East Area School south of Mount Gambier. After four years in the South East of South Australia he moved to Adelaide and taught at Reynella East High School before moving on to become Head of Mathematics at Prince Alfred College, where he stayed for six years until 1997.

In 1997 Steve moved to Canberra, where he worked with the Australian Mathematics Trust, developing a Graduate Certificate course for teachers, accredited at the University of Canberra. He is now a lecturer at the University of Canberra, training mathematics teachers.

Peter Taylor
Saturday 31 May 2008