Richard Karwatka

  • Senior Lecturer - Mathematics
  • Mathematics And Physics Department
  • EMAIL: karwatka@uwp.edu
Richard Karwatka

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • College mathematics
  • Curriculum development
  • Assessment development
  • History of mathematics
  • Mathematics education
Richard Karwatka is a product of the University of Wisconsin System, having pursued undergraduate study in mathematics, French, and history at UW-Parkside and graduate study in mathematics and mathematics education at UW-Madison. His professional teaching career began as a teaching assistant at UW-Madison where his efforts in calculus instruction earned him one of the inaugural French-Felten Awards for Inspirational Teaching bestowed by the College of Letters and Science. He returned to UW-Parkside as a member of the instructional academic staff teaching courses in the pre-calculus mathematics curriculum and has since been deeply involved in continuing efforts to improve content delivery and student outcomes in mathematics courses, eventually serving as Coordinator of Developmental and Proficiency-Based Mathematics at UW-Parkside and as Chair of the UW Mathematics Placement Test Development Committee at UW System. As a UW-Parkside alumnus, he always hoped that he would be able to return to his alma mater to contribute to it in gratitude for the path on which it set him, and he has been honored to receive the Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award and the Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award in recognition of those contributions.

When not engaging matters mathematical, Karwatka enjoys music, art, and history, especially that of the monarchies from which his ancestors emerged. He is a particular fan of the Habsburg Empire in all its incarnations and would gladly go on and on about it for hours if given the opportunity.

Teaching Interests

Mathematics courses ranging from the developmental level through the introductory undergraduate curriculum.

Research Interests

Adaptations of historic techniques to questions in number theory.

Consulting Interests

Mathematics education consulting for purposes of assessment development.

Teaching Awards

2023: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2022: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2021: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2020: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2019: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2018: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2017: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2015: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2013: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2012: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2011: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Recipient, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2010: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2008: Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Service Awards

2017: Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Recipient, University, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2017: Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Nominee, University, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2016: Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Nominee, University, University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Departmental Service

: Committee Member - Mathematics Curriculum Committee Inclusive Teaching Subcommittee
: Committee Member - Mathematics Curriculum Committee
: Committee Member - MATH 111 Curriculum Development Group

College Service

2023: Committee Member - Dean's Co-Requisite Mathematics Committee
2020: Other - CNHS Math Success Team

University Service

: Committee Member - Teaching Professor Working Group Committee
: Committee Member - Campus Employee Satisfaction Committee
: Committee Member - Academic Staff Title Review Committee
: Other - Academic Staff Committee
2023: Other - Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Selection Committee
2022: Committee Member - Academic Staff Regents Service Award Selection Committee
2021: Committee Chair - Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Selection Committee
2021: Other - Provost's Office Math Success Team
2020: Committee Member - Mathematics Placement Group
2018: Committee Member - Academic Staff Committee
2015: Committee Chair - Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee
2014: Committee Member - Admissions Secondary Review Committee
2014: Other - PARC Mathematics Tutoring Consultant
2014: Committee Chair - Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee
2013: Committee Chair - Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee
2012: Committee Member - Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee

UW System Service

2020: Committee Member - UW Center for Placement Testing Advisory Board
2020: Committee Chair - UW System Mathematics Placement Test Committee
2016: Committee Member - UW System Mathematics Placement Test Committee
MATH 011 - ESSENTIAL MATH SKILLS LAB
MATH 015 - INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA
MATH 016 - INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA LAB
MATH 111 - College Algebra I
MATH 114 - College Algebra II/Trigonmetry
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