EVANSVILLE, IND. (04/10/2025) The University of Evansville (UE) proudly announces that Professor Mohammad K. Azarian has made history as the first Muslim and the first Iranian American mathematician to have two prestigious mathematics awards named in his honor by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). These honors, established under his name, recognize his outstanding contributions to research, problem creation, and his unparalleled service to the mathematics community.
His extensive academic work includes the publication of 47 papers, 87 problems, and over 60 presentations at international, national, and reginal meetings and conferences. Professor Azarian served four years as a Discipline Peer Reviewer for the Fulbright Scholar Program (2015-2018) and published 78 reviews in the AMS’s Mathematical Reviews (MathSciNet) and the European Mathematical Society’s zbMATH Open (Zentralblatt MATH).
The Mohammad K. Azarian Prize for Mathematical Reviews Reviewers, established by AMS, honors mathematicians who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to the peer review field. This prize will recognize notable achievement by peer reviewers, past, present, and future. By providing quality reviews of scholarly articles, reviewers provide a vital link for researchers between established research and works in progress. The inaugural award will be presented at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, D.C., in January 2026, when AMS and 16 other mathematics organizations will gather for their joint annual meeting.
Professor Azarian, a lifetime member of the AMS since 1983, has been an active force in the mathematical community for decades. His contributions include serving on the Human Rights of Mathematicians Committee and chairing the committee in 2023. Additionally, he has represented AMS on the American Association for the Advancement of Science Human Rights Coalition.
Similarly, the Mohammad K. Azarian Scholar Award, established by MAA, celebrates excellence in mathematical problem creation. This award recognizes individuals whose original, thought-provoking problems challenge and inspire the mathematical community.
Honorees will be selected from contributors to MAA publications – The American Mathematical Monthly, Mathematics Magazine, The College Mathematics Journal, and Math Horizons – as well as from problem creators featured in the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), the Putnam Competition, and the Mathematical Olympiad Program (MOP). By spotlighting outstanding problem creators, this award reinforces the vital role of problem-creation in advancing mathematical thinking and education. The inaugural award will be presented in August at MathFest 2025, in Sacramento, California. Professor Azarian will be a speaker at this conference.
Professor Azarian has been a member of MAA since 1986, with a distinguished record of service. His numerous contributions include serving on the Executive Board of the Indiana Section of the MAA (2001-2007), where one of his responsibilities was overseeing the Indiana College Mathematics Competitions for all of Indiana’s colleges and universities. He was honored with the Mathematical Association of America-Indiana Distinguished Service Award in 2017.
With these two honors, Professor Azarian becomes the first Muslim, the first Iranian American, and the third mathematician to have two distinguished mathematics awards named in his honor by AMS and MAA, the two largest, oldest, and most respected mathematics organizations in the United States. These recognitions underscore his lasting impact on mathematical scholarship and problem creation.
The University of Evansville congratulates Professor Azarian on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to celebrating his contributions to the global mathematical community.
