Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award

2024 Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award Recipient, Dan Meyer, pictured with President Elect Brian Buckhalter

2024 Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award Recipient, Dan Meyer, pictured with President Elect Brian Buckhalter

The Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award recognizes outstanding leadership in the field of mathematics. This prestigious award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional vision, commitment, and influence in their professional and personal lives. Named in tribute to Ross Taylor and Glenn Gilbert—two trailblazers in mathematics—the award recognizes leaders who inspire others, drive positive change, and leave a lasting impact on their field.

Recipients of this award are selected through a rigorous nomination and selection process, where peers and colleagues nominate individuals who have shown extraordinary leadership qualities. Nominees undergo careful evaluation based on their ability to motivate and empower others, advance the values in the field of mathematics, and contribute meaningfully to shaping the future of the profession. This award serves as a testament to the recipient’s unwavering dedication, innovation, and exemplary leadership.

The Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award is presented at the Annual NCSM Conference, where the recipient is celebrated by peers and colleagues from across the country. (See nomination procedures to make a nomination)

Nominee Criteria

Strong nominees for the Ross Taylor / Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award:

  • Should be eligible for NCSM membership, but actual membership is not a requirement;
  • Have a record of significant and describable contributions to mathematics education, with emphasis on contributions occurring in recent years;
  • Demonstrate a concern for her/his fellow mathematics educators;
  • Use self-evaluation for growth and improved performance;
  • Demonstrate a clear knowledge of mathematics education, especially current issues and problems;
  • Have made a contribution to mathematics education by furthering one or more of the stated purposes of NCSM: the interchange of ideas, cooperation with other professional organizations, and leadership in attacking current problems in mathematics curriculum and supervision.

Ross Talylor / Glenn Gilbert Award

Nominee Procedures

Only an NCSM member may submit a nomination. To nominate a person, please complete the nomination form for the Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award Application (Click here)

The deadline to submit nominations for the NCSM Ross Taylor / Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award is June 1, 2025.

Any questions about the application can be sent to George Cage, the NCSM Awards Chair:

Award History

NCSM: Leadership in Mathematics Education is an organization whose membership is made up of leaders in the field of mathematics education.

Glenn Gilbert

Glenn Gilbert

One of those members who gave especially of his time and energy was Glenn Gilbert. He was a mathematics teacher and leader from Boulder, Colorado. Glenn was a mathematics teacher and mathematics supervisor for many years. He was a long time member of NCSM and served as NCSM Treasurer and Board Member from 1976 until his untimely death in 1981. In 1982, NCSM President at the time, Shirley Frye, wrote, “One of the special benefits of a professional organization is the association with unique individuals who set a standard of quality. Glenn Gilbert was such a person! He exemplified the respected mathematics educator who loves his/her work and students. Glenn’s positive attitude supported his beliefs that students can succeed and that teaching is a reward. His leadership will be recognized and remembered in NCSM.”

In 1982, the Glenn Gilbert Award was first established to honor its namesake and to provide a vehicle to annually recognize a person who exhibited the same kind of unique and dedicated contributions to mathematics education.

In 1995, the name of the award was changed to the “Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award” to further recognize Glenn’s legacy and capture the respect and stature that the award symbolizes within the mathematics education community.

In 2009, the award was renamed the “Ross Taylor / Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award” to further exemplify the prestige of this national recognition and to further distinguish the unique dedication and contribution of its recipients.

Ross Taylor

Ross Taylor

Bennett “Ross” Taylor was a part of the heart and soul of NCSM for the past 4 decades, a “Leader of Leaders” in mathematics education, and a driving force behind the birth of NCSM. Ross led the first planning and organizational meeting of NCSM in Minneapolis in 1969 and served as the second President of the organization from 1971-1973. When mathematics education was faced with a national “basic skills” movement, he led the 1976 development of an NCSM Position Paper, New Basic Skills, which redefined basic skills to include problem solving and the use of calculators.

Ross’s legacy lies in the hearts, minds, and actions of all who benefited from his leadership, his work, his actions, his passion, his purpose, his voice, and from his courage. The NCSM Board, with the support of the NCSM Past Presidents, honored Bennett “Ross” Taylor’s immense contributions to NCSM by renaming its most prestigious award, the Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award. It was most fitting that this award should now bear the name of two mathematics educational giants, Ross Taylor and Glenn Gilbert. Announced on the last day of the 2009 NCSM Annual Conference, the newly named award was presented beginning with the 42nd NCSM Annual Conference.

See past recipients of this most prestigious award.