Hamann

Keith Hamann, with his wife June after receiving the award at a function at the Lenzerheide restaurant, Hawthorn on the evening of Thursday 10 June 1999.

Keith with former winner of the BH Neumann Award Marta Sved, at the function.

Citation

Keith has a long and distinguished career which has impacted on the quality of mathematics teaching both nationally and within South Australia.

Keith served two terms as South Australian Director of the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee. He was the Foundation State Director, serving from 1980 to 1982 and is the current Director, this term having commenced in 1991. So he has spent almost 12 years coordinating extension activities for the most talented students in the state. During this time a number of South Australian students have been selected in the Australian team to participate at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

One of Keith's major achievements was to co-author the text for the Polya Enrichment Program of the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians. This constitutes a significant part of this Enrichment Program, which thousands of students are using each year to extend their mathematical knowledge and skills.

Keith had a long career with the South Australian Department of Education, dating back to 1960 when he became a Special Senior Master in Mathematics and Physics. From 1967 to 1970 he was the Mathematics Consultant in the Department. From 1971 to 1985 he was first Inspector and later Principal Education Officer in Mathematics and Physics.

In 1985 and 1986 he also served a term with the independent school system, being Head of Mathematics at Wilderness College.

Keith has served the professional organisations for mathematics teachers with distinction. He first served as Secretary of the Mathematical Association of South Australia (MASA) from 1964 to 1968, and then President from 1969 to 1971. He has since served a further term as President in 1995 and 1996 and commenced a term as Vice President in 1998 (a post he still holds).

He has also served two terms on the Council of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT), these being from 1966 to 1971 and from 1994 to 1996. He recently chaired the organising committee of the highly successful AAMT biennial conference in Adelaide in January 1999.

In addition to the above activities, Keith has organised many extra enrichment activities for students. The sort of activities he runs are monthly after school workshops, enrichment mathematics days, Saturday morning workshops, three day workshops and many other miscellaneous enrichment sessions, which he has attended when organised by schools and other organisations.

The Mathematics days are full day programs held at St Peters and Seymour College (about 3 or 4 per year) for high achievers from years 8 to 10 in school mathematics competitions. The Saturday morning workshops are for senior "graduates" from the enrichment days. At these days problems sets are sent two weeks before the workshops and Keith receives great support from mathematicians of the University of Adelaide such as Alexei Filinkov, Paul Scott, John van der Hoek and Jane Pitman. The three-day workshops are for invited year 8 to 10 students who achieve High Distinctions in the Australian Mathematics Competition.

To conclude, Keith Hamann is a most worthy recipient of the BH Neumann Award.

Peter Taylor

10 June 1999