John Taylor of Mathematics and Statistics is one of three nominees for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer. The other nominees are Tonya Bates of Biological Sciences and Sue Hodge of Criminal Justice and Criminology.
Taylor attended both public and Catholic schools and graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School where he played saxophone in the school’s national award winning marching band. He went on to attend N.C. State University where he graduated with his bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and military history. Continuing on at N.C. State, he graduated with a master’s degree in applied mathematics. During his graduate studies Taylor received an award for Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching, the first of many awards
After graduating, Taylor accepted a positon as a professor of mathematics at Nash Community College as well as working as an adjunct professor at NC State and Peace College in Raleigh. During his time at Nash Community College, Taylor became known among students and faculty as the “Math Guy” and his excellence in teaching was again recognized by being awarded the Teacher of Year. Ever since graduating with his undergraduate degree, he also worked part-time at the North Carolina State Archives as a Military historian and accompanied lecture tours for history and genealogy.
He eventually came to UNC Charlotte to complete his doctoral degree in Mathematics. As a graduate student, Taylor continued teaching and very quickly gained popularity among students for his unique and effective teaching style and won the Graduate Teacher of the Year award.
In 2006 he graduated with his Ph.D. in Commutative Ring Theory, and was immediately offered a position at UNC Charlotte. Taylor still works for UNC Charlotte, and is an in-demand faculty member in the Mathematics and Statistics Department.
He believes that “teaching is a complex art and effective teaching involves a multitude of variables. My mission as a teacher is to carefully consider all these elements and to provide a teaching-learning environment which is conducive to each student’s learning.” Students agree that he is successful in achieving this mission. One student nominator said this: “Dr. Taylor helped me so much. His voice is still in my head, in a good way I mean. He engraved Calculus I and II in my head. So in my major classes I’m finding it very easy to use calculus-related equations while I see others struggle.”
