National Teaching Honor
Professor Sellers is one of three recipients of the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. He is joined by Karl-Dieter Crisman and Matthew Morena. This award recognizes college or university professors who are widely known for extraordinary teaching effectiveness and whose influence extends beyond their own institutions.
Sellers has spent decades transforming how students see themselves in mathematics, fostering confidence, curiosity, and a genuine sense of belonging in every classroom he enters. A student shared, “Dr. James Sellers changed the course of my life. Without a doubt, I chose to be a mathematics major because of his teaching…His investment in mathematics was evident through his pure passion and joy for the content – his enthusiasm and wonder are contagious!”
Sellers began his teaching career as a graduate student at Penn State before joining Cedarville University in Ohio, where he incorporated research projects into upper-level courses and co-authored numerous papers with students. He later served as Associate Head of Undergraduate Mathematics at Penn State, earning multiple teaching awards and a Fulbright Award to Austria.
His reach extends beyond the university through his courses with The Teaching Company, where his accessible teaching of foundational mathematics has reshaped how countless learners relate to the subject.
His impact on students within and far beyond the university classroom makes him a deserving recipient of the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award.
Service work also recognized
Meritorious Service Certificates are awarded based on recommendations from MAA Sections, recognizing significant service either at the national level or to an individual Section. These awards annually honor exceptional dedication and contributions.
Professor Sellers is among six winners that also includes: Annalisa Crannell, Brittney Miller, Janet Liou-Mark, Jennifer Quinn, and Laura Watkins. He represents the North Central Section of the MAA and has been contributing to the organization at local and national levels for decades.
Reflecting on the award, Sellers said, “I am truly grateful to receive this recognition, and I thank the leadership of the MAA North Central Section for nominating me for this honor. I am especially honored to join others who have received the Meritorious Service Prize from the MAA North Central Section in the recent past. Many of these people are long-time colleagues and friends, and I have always admired their work and dedication to the MAA and to the broader mathematical community.”