The assistant professor of mathematics will use the named professorship to deepen the scholarly experience of his undergraduate researchers.
University leaders formally announced the professorship on Monday morning at a formal program in Alumni Gym to open the 2015-16 academic year.
Elon alumni Tommy Holmes and Harris L. Hendricks established the A.L. Hook Emerging Scholar Professorship in Science and Mathematics to honor former physics and mathematics professor Alonzo Lohr Hook, and to support science, research and student involvement at Elon.
The professorship provides funding and opportunities for faculty to mentor students and involve undergraduates in research and special projects. Awtrey will receive an annual salary supplement, research materials and funds for travel and student research. He will hold the rotating professorship for a three-year term.
Awtrey thanked the alumni who established the professorship in honor of the former professor and called on his colleagues to teach and live in such a way that students are so insired that their natural resposne is to give back and invest in Elon’s future.
“I’m thankful for the support offered by the Hook Professorship, and I’m very excited to work on research projects on the frontier of my discipline,” he said.
Awtrey joined the Elon faculty after earning his doctorate in mathematics from Arizona State University in 2010. Awtrey and his students are currently pursuing several lines of research relating to his interest in prime numbers and polynomial equations. His commitment to undergraduate research students has led him to mentor 22 different research projects resulting in almost 30 presentations made by his mentees at professional conferences.
Awtrey has been successful in securing external funding in support of his collaborations with undergraduate research students. He has further been recognized with an Early Career Mentoring Award by the Council on Undergraduate Research.
Previous faculty members who have held the professorship are Crista Arangala, Kyle Altmann, Kathryn Matera and Ben Evans.