Richard Karwatka - University of Wisconsin Parkside

Richard Karwatka is a product of the Universities of Wisconsin, having pursued undergraduate study in mathematics, French, and history at UW-Parkside and graduate study in mathematics and mathematics education at UW-Madison. His professional teaching career began as a teaching assistant at UW-Madison where his efforts in calculus instruction earned him one of the inaugural French-Felten Awards for Inspirational Teaching bestowed by the College of Letters and Science. He returned to UW-Parkside as a member of the instructional academic staff teaching courses in the pre-calculus mathematics curriculum and has since been deeply involved in continuing efforts to improve content delivery and student outcomes in mathematics courses, eventually serving as Coordinator of Developmental and Proficiency-Based Mathematics at UW-Parkside and as Chair of the UW Mathematics Placement Test Development Committee at UW System. As a UW-Parkside alumnus, he always hoped that he would be able to return to his alma mater to contribute to it in gratitude for the path on which it set him, and he has been honored to receive the Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award and the Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award in recognition of those contributions.

When not engaging matters mathematical, Karwatka enjoys music, art, and history, especially that of the former monarchies from which his ancestors emigrated. He is a particular fan of the Habsburg Empire in all its incarnations and would gladly go on and on about it for hours if given the opportunity.

Areas of Expertise

College mathematics
Curriculum development
Assessment development
History of mathematics
Mathematics education

Teaching Awards

(2025) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Recipient — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2024) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2023) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2022) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2021) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2020) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2019) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2018) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2017) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2015) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2013) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2012) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2011) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Recipient — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2010) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2008) Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Service Awards

(2017) Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Recipient — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2017) Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside
(2016) Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Nominee — University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Departmental Service

Committee Chair — 100-Level Mathematics Curriculum Subcommittee
Committee Member — MATH 111 Curriculum Development Group
(2025) Committee Member — Mathematics Curriculum Committee
(2023) Committee Member — Mathematics Curriculum Committee Inclusive Teaching Subcommittee

College Service

(2023) Committee Member — Dean's Co-Requisite Mathematics Committee
(2020) Other — CNHS Math Success Team

University Service

Committee Chair — Academic Staff Policies and Procedures Committee
Committee Member — Teaching Professor Working Group Committee
Committee Member — Campus Employee Satisfaction Committee
Other — Academic Staff Committee
(2025) Committee Member — Academic Staff Title Review Committee
(2025) Other — Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Selection Committee
(2024) Other — Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Selection Committee
(2023) Other — Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Selection Committee
(2022) Committee Member — Academic Staff Regents Service Award Selection Committee
(2021) Committee Chair — Academic Staff Distinguished Service Award Selection Committee
(2021) Other — Provost's Office Math Success Team
(2020) Committee Member — Mathematics Placement Group
(2018) Committee Member — Academic Staff Committee
(2015) Committee Chair — Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee
(2014) Committee Member — Admissions Secondary Review Committee
(2014) Other — PARC Mathematics Tutoring Consultant
(2014) Committee Chair — Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee
(2013) Committee Chair — Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee
(2012) Committee Member — Stella C. Gray Teaching Excellence Award Selection Committee

UW System Service

Committee Member — UW System Mathematics Placement Test Committee
(2020) Committee Member — UW Center for Placement Testing Advisory Board
(2020) Committee Chair — UW System Mathematics Placement Test Committee
(2016) Committee Member — UW System Mathematics Placement Test Committee