Dr. James Edward Lightner is a professor emeritus of mathematics at his alma mater, Western Maryland College.
WESTMINSTER, MD, February 05, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present James Edward Lightner, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Lightner celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Now a professor emeritus of mathematics at his alma mater, Western Maryland College, Dr. Lightner first taught mathematics and English at Frederick County Public Schools for four years before assuming his current role in 1962. Remaining on campus for more than 35 years, he retired as a full professor of mathematics. Throughout his tenure, he was responsible for serving as the director of mathematics proficiency between 1982 and 1995. Dr. Lightner also helped establish, and was inducted into, the college's Delta chapter of Maryland's Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorable society.
Dr. Lightner served as a consultant to the Maryland State Department of Education between 1975 and 1998, and was a reader for advanced placement in calculus of the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, from 1980 to 1988. As a result of his deep fascination with the history of the college, he was named as a McDaniel College historian in 2004 and a member of the board of trustees in 2010. For seven years, Dr. Lightner researched and documented the history of Western Maryland College, and in 2007 published the 737-page book, "Fearless and Bold."
In September 2015, Dr. Lightner delivered a 90-minute presentation, adapted from the book and filmed live at the Carroll Arts Center, for a documentary which helped recognize the college's 150th anniversary during the 2017 and 2018 academic year. Additionally, he co-authored the textbook "Geometry" in 1980 and 1984 and authored and co-authored multiple articles in scholarly journals. Dr. Lightner's biography was notably featured in "The Hill," the college alumni magazine.
A leader of various community organizations, Dr. Lightner served as the chairman of the board of the Historical Society of Carroll County, Maryland, from 2015 to 2017, and he has been a member of the board since 2011. He is active as a member of his local Rotary club, of which he is a past president and former secretary; he is also a Paul Harris Fellow. Furthermore, Dr. Lightner has been a member of the Carroll County Arts Council in Westminster and the local Boys and Girls Club board.
An honorary Doctor of Letters recipient of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, Dr. Lightner served as the commencement speaker at the 2017 graduation. The college alumni association twice recognized him for professional achievement and volunteerism with its Meritorious Service Award and an Alumnus of the Year Award. In 2002, Dr. Lightner received the college's Trustee Alumni Award.
Dr. Lightner received a Bachelor of Arts in English and mathematics, with summa cum laude honors, at Western Maryland College in 1958. He subsequently received a Master of Arts in education at Northwestern University in 1962, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics education at The Ohio State University in 1968. Among his professional memberships, Dr. Lightner is a member and past president of the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics. He is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Recognized with a Distinguished Teaching Award by Western Maryland College in 1966 and named Maryland's Outstanding Mathematics Educator of the Year by the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1986, Dr. Lightner also received a John Hope Franklin Award for Distinguished Service from Phi Beta Kappa in 2015. He served as national president of Kappa Mu Epsilon (National Undergraduate Mathematics Honor Society) from 1980-1982, and received the George R. Mach Award for Distinguished Service. In 2018, he was named a Good Scout of the Carroll County Unit of the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. A celebrated Marquis listee, he has been included in the third edition of Who's Who in American Education and the 24th edition of Who's Who in the East. Outside of his career responsibilities, Dr. Lightner enjoys such avocations as traveling, music, singing, and reading.
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