1995 – Eileen L. Poiani
On August 7, 1995, at the Pi Mu Epsilon National Meeting at Burlington, Vermont, Dr. Eileen Poiani, was honored by Pi Mu Epsilon with the C. C. MacDuffee Award for Distinguished Service. Dr. Poiani served on the Pi Mu Epsilon Council for twenty-one years. After having been elected for an unprecedented four consecutive three-year terms as Councilor, she was elected President-Elect in 1984. While serving as Pi Mu Epsilon’s first woman president from 1987 to 1990, Dr. Poiani led the society through the celebration of its 75th anniversary. As Pi Mu Epsilon’s ambassador to other organizations she was extraordinarily successful in securing external funding to support the goals of the society. During her tenure on the Council she personally installed over twenty chapters of Pi Mu Epsilon on college and university campuses across the United States.
Eileen Poiani’s service to the mathematical community extends far beyond Pi Mu Epsilon. Having been on the faculty at St. Peter’s College since 1967, she currently holds the rank of Professor of Mathematics and serves as Assistant to the President for Planning. She has been active in the Mathematical Association of America, providing leadership on numerous committees and serving as Governor of the New Jersey Section. In 1994 the Section honored her with its Award for Distinguished Teaching. She has a passionate interest in promoting the status of women and minorities in mathematics.