F&M Stories
Socrates Citation In Honor of Annalisa Crannell
Professor Annalisa Crannell loves doing mathematics, and she especially loves doing math with other people. Her love of mathematics — as well as her optimism, generosity, and goodwill — have enriched the lives of students and colleagues at Franklin & Marshall College and beyond.
She earned her doctorate at Brown University, where she wrote a dissertation about nonlinear partial differential equations. She then established herself in the research field of topological dynamics. Later, in her quest for a specialty more accessible and visual, she reinvented herself as an expert in the application of perspective geometry to art. Professor Crannell has published extensively in topological dynamics, mathematics and art, and mathematical pedagogy. She has written books, papers, article reviews, and book reviews. She is in demand as a speaker and workshop leader.
Professor Crannell is a master teacher. In 2007, she was awarded the James P. Crawford Distinguished Teaching Award, presented by the local section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). In 2008, she won the national Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Distinguished Teaching Award from the MAA. And in 2017, she won F&M’s prestigious Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Professor Crannell championed the use of writing in math classes and is well-known for her article and talk “How to Grade 300 Math Essays and Survive to Tell the Tale.” She has advocated widely for innovative pedagogy and freely shares classroom worksheets she has authored for courses ranging from calculus to advanced theoretical mathematics. She has mentored professors at F&M, as well as nationally, through her participation in Project NExT (a professional development program for new math Ph.D.s).
Professor Crannell worked with Nick Baeth to envision and create the Diplomaths research program, designed to engage students in mathematical research early in their undergraduate careers. She led Diplomath research teams and taught courses in research techniques. She supervised independent studies, honors projects, and Hackman scholars, publishing several articles with student co-authors. She has served on several editorial boards and as associate editor for math journals, and has held various offices in the MAA, the Association for Women in Mathematics, and the American Mathematical Society.
At F&M, Professor Crannell twice served as chair of the Department of Mathematics and once as associate chair of the Department of Computer Science. She was associate dean of the faculty, served on the Professional Standards Committee, chaired the Common Hour Committee, and served as secretary of the faculty. She is the founding don of Bonchek College House, serving for six years. She started the College House Bagel Breakfasts, now a tradition in all houses.
Professor Crannell will spread her love of mathematics even further next year. After retirement, she will head to Panama as a Fulbright Scholar.
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