Background

Professor Lomen (1937-2013) was a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the University of Arizona from 1966 until his retirement in 2011. Professor Lomen died after a three-year battle with cancer. This award honors the value Professor Lomen placed on excellence in undergraduate teaching, and his dedication to undergraduates' conceptual learning of mathematics.

David grew up in Iowa, where he attended a one-room schoolhouse through 8th grade. After high school, David attended Luther College, Decorah, and graduated in 1959 as a Mathematics and Physics Major. In 1964 he earned his PhD in Applied Mathematics from Iowa State University. After several years in the aerospace industry, he joined the Mathematics Department at the University of Arizona in 1966 but continued to consult with many different computer, educational, and aerospace companies throughout his long and distinguished academic career.

David co-authored several textbooks on calculus and differential equations and was a founding member of the Harvard Calculus Consortium, a group of mathematicians dedicated to changing the way calculus is taught. He was also a member of the Advanced Placement Calculus Development committee, a Faculty Fellow at the Native American Resource Center at the University of Arizona, a mentor for the Campus Christian Center and an author of many original research articles in Applied Mathematics and Educational Journals.

Aside from his many research contributions, David is perhaps best remembered for the impact that he had on the lives of others - his students, his mentees, and his colleagues. He received numerous awards for his teaching and advising of both undergraduate and post graduate students and enjoyed and excelled in looking for new ways to introduce complex material to students to keep them engaged in the classroom.  Others were encouraged to do the same by him, often changing their attitudes towards teaching and the way they taught.  His legacy lives on through these people.