Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus has named Teresa Hartman, mathematics instructor, as the first recipient of the Delker Faculty Excellence Award for developing alternative textbook videos to help translate math calculations for her students.

As the 2023 award winner, Hartman will receive $5,000 in salary support to be used to upgrade software and equipment needed to produce revised videos.

“Over the course of my teaching career, I found that many math students don’t read the textbooks because they don’t understand them,” Hartman said. “To save them money, I wanted to make videos where I could translate the math for them so they could understand. To win the Delker Faculty Excellence Award is such a thrill and will allow me to go back and update some of the older videos that didn’t have the best audio quality.”

The Delker award was implemented for the first time this year to recognize K-State Salina faculty for developing innovative courses and curricula. The award is made possible by David Delker, former K-State Salina associate dean of academics. Delker was a 1973 graduate of Kansas Technical Institute, now K-State Salina, and worked his way up through the higher education ranks at K-State’s Manhattan and Salina campuses before retiring in 2014.

“The idea for this new award recognizing the excellent K-State Salina faculty came from my conversations with the KSU Foundation,” said Delker. “Much of my career at K-State focused on course and curriculum development, and I’ve always had a passion for improving student learning opportunities. This award encourages faculty to do likewise.”

The alternative textbook videos have been a project of Hartman’s for more than eight years. She has seen improvement in many of her students due to the videos. Hartman hopes that with the award funds, she can reach even more students and improve their math skills.

“Teresa was selected for the Delker Faculty Excellence Award because of the strong proposal she submitted for updating the alternative textbook videos for her College Algebra course,” Delker said. “That course has far-reaching effects, as it is required in nearly all our academic programs. Teresa has a proven track record in improving the course, and these funds will help her make it even better.”

Hartman has been an instructor at K-State Salina since 2007. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fort Hays State University in 2000 and her master’s degree in mathematics from K-State in 2007.