The Mathematics Department is fortunate to have many graduate students with distinguished teaching records. The university has recognized the teaching contributions of one of these students, Regina Speicher, selecting her as the recipient of its 2004 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Regina had previously received the department's Louis J. DeLuca Memorial Award in recognition of her exemplary teaching. She has also made important service contributions to the department during her graduate career, and is this year's recipient of the department's Connie Strange Graduate Community Award in recognition of such contributions.

Regina Speicher grew up as one of five children on a lake in Brackney, PA near Binghamton, NY. Being part of an active family, her interests as a child (outside of schoolwork) included many different sports, such as basketball, tennis, and softball, as well as playing the piano and reading.

As the daughter of a mechanical engineer and high school math teacher, Regina especially enjoyed her math and science courses in high school, where she graduated as valedictorian. She began her undergraduate years at Villanova University as a mathematics and biology major, with thoughts of becoming a physician. While in college, Regina played softball for the university on an athletic scholarship and attained distinction as both a Villanova University and Big East Scholar Athlete. Intrigued by a talk given at Villanova demonstrating the connections and applications of mathematical research to biology, Regina eventually decided against medicine and received a BS degree in Mathematics. Although she spent two summers working as an actuarial intern in Washington, D.C., Regina decided to attend graduate school with the goal of becoming a mathematics professor.

Regina is in her fourth year at UConn. Currently, she is working in the area of nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations with her advisor, Dr. P.J. McKenna. Regina finds teaching undergraduate courses to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. She shares her teaching expertise with others as part of the department's TA Network, of which she is a founding member, and serves as a mentor for new graduate students. She has also been elected by her peers as one of the two graduate student representatives to the department's Graduate Program Committee, and her service as liaison between the committee and the students has been invaluable. Congratulations, Regina!