*Karen Shuman Michalowicz; Prized Teacher*



By Patricia Sullivan

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, July 28, 2006; B06



Karen Dee Shuman Michalowicz, 63, a middle school mathematics teacher in

McLean for nearly 40 years, died of bone marrow cancer July 17 at Virginia

Hospital Center in Arlington. She lived in Falls Church.



She was chairwoman of the Langley School's Upper School math department and

was dedicated to her students. She taught fifth-graders concepts such as the

golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence by pointing out how shells develop

and how plants grow leaves. Her demonstration of the concept in nature

triggered fascination with math among many students.



"She was very good at showing how math is interesting, how it matters and

how it pops up . . . instead of having the class do long division and

multiplication," said Nathan Curtis, one of her students, who went on to an

international Math Olympiad. He told The Washington Post in 1997 that "Ms.

Mikey" taught him how the rules of mathematics govern how to accurately draw

plants, clouds, trees or mountains.



Ms. Michalowicz's interests included math history, female mathematicians and

the use of geometry in African artifacts, the topic of a book she reviewed

for the Mathematical Association of America. She published numerous

articles, and her collection of old textbooks contained more than 500 books

published between 1529 and 1899.



She was an adjunct professor of math at George Mason University, edited a

multimedia program on math history and presented talks at more than 75

workshops. She received the National Presidential Award for Excellence in

Science and Mathematics Teaching in 1990, the American Association of

University Women's state teacher of the year award and the Virginia Council

of Teachers of Mathematics teacher of the year award.



Ms. Michalowicz was a member of the board of Mathcounts, a national

enrichment, coaching and competition organization. She was a member of the

National Research Council's U.S. National Commission on Mathematics

Instruction and helped design a series of posters for the Benjamin Banneker

Association, contributing articles for its monthly newsletter.



She also volunteered at So Others Might Eat, drove the elderly to church

services and played organ at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, where she was a

parishioner for more than 40 years.



Born in Fort Wayne, Ind., she traveled extensively as a child because of her

father's Marine Corps career. She finished elementary school in Falls

Churchand spent part of high school in

Jakarta, Indonesia, taking correspondence courses. She graduated from St.

Mary's Academy in Alexandria and from Catholic University. She also received

a master's degree in education from the University of Virginia.



Her marriage to Joseph Michalowicz ended in divorce.



Survivors include two children, Dr. Joleen Michalowicz of Falls Church and

Michael Michalowicz of Richmond; a sister, JoEtte Fletcher of Vienna; a

brother, Robert Shuman of Potomac; her mother, Irene Shuman of Falls Church;

and four grandchildren.