2015 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Throughout Kathy Heid's distinguished career, she has tirelessly worked to improve mathematics education through her research, teaching, and service at the local, state, and national levels. Her work has been transformative-she has been a trailblazer in using technology to support students' mathematics learning, beginning with her early work with graphing technologies to her more recent work with computer algebra systems. Heid's research on a functional approach to the teaching of algebra broke new ground and has significantly altered the way in which algebra is taught today.

"Kathy Heid has had an immeasurable positive influence on mathematics education during her career," said one nominator. "Many of us would not be the same if we had not had the opportunity to work, think, and interact with her."

Heid's service to mathematics education includes significant contributions to NCTM. During the past 35 years, she has presented at NCTM annual and regional meetings more than 80 times, and she has served NCTM in at least 16 capacities. Among the highlights of Heid's service to the Council are her membership on the Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, her editorship of the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education , and her work as a member of the 9-12 writing team for Principles and Standards for School Mathematics .

Heid's work with NCTM integrates vision, scholarship, and policy with her joy in teaching mathematics. "Kathy is a treasure to our profession-a voice that constantly presses us to think of the world in which we are teaching our students to survive and prosper," wrote another nominator.

Heid's leadership in mathematics education research and service to the field has been acknowledged by several awards, including recognition for the Outstanding Contribution to Mathematics Education by the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Career Achievement Award and the Achieving Woman Award from The Pennsylvania State University, and the International Honors Designee by Megatrend University in Belgrade, Serbia. Heid is currently Distinguished Professor of Education at The Pennsylvania State University.