Stacey Wahl (1916-2007) was a dedicated, lifelong mathematics educator. Her gift to the Mathematics Education Trust (MET) funds innovative projects that help students in grades PreK-8 understand geometry. The fund is named after Stacey Wahl and her husband, Dr. John Wahl (1920-1982), a nuclear physicist.
Geometry was the focus of Stacey Wahl's teaching, and she was determined to help narrow the achievement gap between boys and girls in mathematics. Throughout her teaching career, she was a mathematics educator at the high school and undergraduate and graduate levels. Motivated by her career experiences and interest in geometry, she established the grant program with a geometry focus. Wahl once said, "I want girls to feel comfortable in the three-dimensional world."
Wahl was a lifetime member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). In 1976, NCTM published the Wahls' award-winning book, I Can Count the Petals of a Flower, which has been an immensely popular book through the years.