Arts and Sciences | Featured | NewsNovember 21, 2025

Math Professor Earns Teacher of the Year Honors

Written By: Ian Silvester

Dr. Rachel Lehman, University of Arkansas – Fort Smith assistant professor of mathematics, received top honors for teaching. 

Lehman was named the 2025 Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics Teacher of the Year – Excellence in Four-Year College/University Mathematics Teaching Award Nov. 18. 

Lehman, who started as a visiting professor in 2024, said the honor was incredibly humbling. 

“All of my colleagues have been extremely kind and helpful, and they go above and beyond,” she said. “I was honored that they would recognize me because I’m new.” 

Assistant Department Head of Mathematics, Dr. Jerry West, was impressed by Lehman’s teaching ability and leadership skills. 

“No matter what level of mathematics course, Dr. Lehman is very effective at teaching and utilizing multiple avenues of assessment. She uses hybrid instruction, mastery grading, and hands-on activities to engage and support diverse learners,” West wrote in his nomination letter. 

Lehman is a proud first-generation student from Van Buren. She said navigating college was difficult, but she has since found a way to turn her experience into a way to help her students. 

“Teaching is not just content knowledge,” Lehman said. “It’s about meeting the students where they are. I care about them and want them to succeed. … I want students not to get shut down by their circumstances, but to be floored by them. Even though life is hard and situations might come up, it’s the choices that we make to react to those situations that help us overcome them.” 

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About Dr. Rachel Lehman: 

Lehman was a double major at Arkansas Tech University, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and electrical engineering. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.  

Before coming to UAFS, she taught math as a graduate assistant, tutored TRIO students, and taught math to 9th- and 11th-grade students at Van Buren High School. 

Lehman also serves as the Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Director. In this role, she organizes regional math competitions for high school students. Lehman holds professional memberships to ACTM, the Arkansas Association of Mathematical Leaders, and the Mathematical Association of America.

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