Outstanding Alumni - 2010
Dr. Tom Richard
Bemidji State University Graduate 1966
Dr. Tom Richard earned a bachelors degree in mathematics education from Bemidji State in 1966, a masters in mathematics from Colorado State in 1968 and a doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1971. He continued his education in computer science taking graduate level courses at Utah State in 1974 and the University of Oregon in 1978 and 1981. Dr. Richard spent his entire professional career teaching mathematics, mathematics education and computer science at Bemidji State University, and was known as an outstanding instructor who made learning fun. He was awarded Colorado State University’s F. Max Stein Graduate Teaching Award in 1969 and earned BSU’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1985. He was a highly successful grant writer who secured over $700,000 in No Child Left Behind grants for improving mathematics instruction in Northern Minnesota. He served on many campus organizations, including the Campus Scholarship Committee, the BSU Faculty Association Board of Directors, the Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Beaver Pride Advisory Committee and the BSU Foundation Board of Directors. He was BSU’s Faculty Athletic Representative for men’s hockey for 29 years, women’s hockey for 10 years and was the first executive chair for the Women’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Dr. Richard served as the public address announcer for BSU football for 25 years. He has done extensive speaking at area elementary, middle and high schools on improving mathematics teaching. He and his wife, Sandy, currently serve on BSU’s Legacy Society Advisory Committee and upon his retirement from BSU in 2008, started the Tom and Sandy Richard Elementary Mathematics Scholarship as a way to give back to both Bemidji State and the “wonderful students” who attend BSU. Tom and Sandy make their home in Bemidji and have two grown children and three grandchildren.