Dr. Anna Stokke

UWinnipeg student Gabriella Borelli says that Dr. Anna Stokke’s first year calculus course changed her life.

“If it was not for Dr. Stokke’s excellent teaching and inspiration, I do not believe I would have pursued a career in math,” she said. “She truly is my role model. I strongly believe that if every student had the opportunity to learn through Dr. Stokke’s teaching, there would not only be far more students pursuing a career in mathematics, but there would also be a significant increase in students confident in their mathematical ability.”

Leading the way

Dr. Stokke is an ambassador for math education whose high standard of teaching and research inspires student success.

Her commitment to teaching excellence has been recognized with a series of awards, including most recently a 2021 3M National Teaching Fellowship — Canada’s most prestigious recognition of excellence in post-secondary teaching and educational leadership.

She is determined to dispel the myth that some people are good at math while others are not.

“I believe that mathematics can be accessible to everyone,” she said. “That doesn’t mean it’s easy – learning math requires a knowledgeable teacher who practices good instructional techniques, students who have mastered the prerequisite skills and, last but not least, a lot of practice.”

Supporting others who teach

Stokke’s passion extends beyond her classroom. Former students who have become teachers often look to her for advice when teaching their own students.

When Max Bennett became a math teacher, she reached out to him, not only to say congratulations, but also to make sure he had the resources he needed to ensure his students’ success.

He says he owes his decision to become a teacher to her influence. He will never forget the thrill of trying to solve open problems during his undergraduate degree, and the confidence Dr. Stokke instilled in him to believe he could do it. By that end of that summer his findings were published in an academic journal, one of his proudest academic achievements.

About an honours math class he took with her he says: “Every single class was energetic and meticulously organized.  It was clear to her students that she loved what she did, and that inspired all of us.”

Making math fun

Dr. Stokke’s contagious enthusiasm regularly attracts full attendance in labs and lectures. She motivates students with fun math problems that reference pop-culture and helps them see their ability to embrace difficult concepts.

“Students like the pop culture references, but the main thing with math is that even when it is just a math problem that might look kind of boring, if you experience success, it’s a lot of fun. The more practice you do, as long as it’s the right kind of problems you’re practicing, the better you get and the better you feel. It’s like doing a whole bunch of little puzzles.”

Working with research students

While she loves taking time in the summer to walk her dog or relax at her parent’s cabin on Pelican Lake, she is never far from the university.

Every summer she works with students on research projects funded by NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards.

“We normally have about three students in the Department of Math and Statistics each year who receive this prestigious scholarship, sometimes more depending on the year,” she said. “I really love working with research students in the summer. It’s one of my favourite things to do.”

As chair of the department, Dr. Stokke is very proud of the high level of scholarship she’s surrounded by. “We’ve got world class researchers in our department. We actually have eight faculty with NSERC Discovery Grants. That’s how good the department is, but what makes me proudest of our department is that we work together to help our students succeed,” she said.