The Art of Mathematical Freedom: Meet Professor Glenn H. Stevens ‘74 (CCS Mathematics)

2026 American Mathematical Society (AMS) Award winner Stevens on the power of creative inquiry, learning through failure, and shaping the next generation of mathematicians

“There's no question that my education at CCS… has just been very, very decisive for what I'm doing now. Having the idea that you can shape the world around you rather than just kind of join it was driven into me rather early.”

— Glenn Stevens ’74 (CCS Mathematics)

Professor Glenn H. Stevens ‘74 (CCS Mathematics) was awarded the 2026 American Mathematical Society (AMS) Award for Impact on Teaching and Learning of Mathematics for his dedication to education. The honor recognizes his lifelong dedication to experiential education—both as a Professor of Mathematics at Boston University and as co-founder of the Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (PROMYS), an immersive summer program that treats gifted high school participants from all around the globe as mathematicians in the hunt for discovery.

“It gives me great pleasure when a kid suddenly realizes something. There’s this moment where they see something that they hadn’t before. And that moment is what I define to be creative.”

— Glenn Stevens ’74 (CCS Mathematics)

In light of this accolade, the College recently sat down with Glenn to learn more about his academic and professional journey, including his life's work guiding the next generation of mathematicians and the role CCS played in his professional life. We quickly learned that Glenn’s life is full of parallels, bound together by a radical commitment to intellectual freedom, a belief in failure as an engine for growth, and a view of mathematics as a deeply creative pursuit. In Glenn’s own words, “It gives me great pleasure when a kid suddenly realizes something. There’s this moment where they see something that they hadn’t before. And that moment is what I define to be creative.”

A Destiny Declared

Glenn was a seventh grader when he declared his own destiny. Responding to a teacher’s prompt about future career goals, Glenn jotted down three words: professor of mathematics. The alumnus himself describes this moment as “...crazy. It's completely crazy. But I had pretty much set myself on a course before I had any idea what that course was.” 

Whether this was self-fulfilling prophecy, manifestation, or simply conviction, Glenn made good on that early promise. As a teenager, he spent five consecutive summers at the Ross Program, an intensive summer math camp that served as the blueprint for his own PROMYS later down the road. Established by visionary mathematician and educator Dr. Arnold Ross, the program immersed Glenn and other high school-aged participants in mathematical equations, theory, and inquiry from sun-up to sun-down. Dr. Ross taught not by traditional methods, but instead by “throwing you in to figure it out” through collaborative discussions with like-minded peers. In this ‘sink or swim’ environment, Glenn swam. 

In fact, he attributes the Ross program for laying the foundation to thrive at CCS and beyond. The impact was so profound that he and other fellow Ross alumni teamed up to preserve it by establishing PROMYS. “I decided rather early in life that I was going to create another program that would build on the Ross program,” Glenn said. “And here we are. We've been doing it now since 1989 and the future still looks bright.”

CCS: The Prospect of Freedom

During his time at the Ross Program, Glenn met his lifelong friend Neville Campbell ‘74 (CCS Mathematics) who later introduced him to the College of Creative Studies over a phone call. As Glenn recalls, his flustered mother informed him that someone claiming to be famous 19th century mathematician Carl Friedrick Gauss was on the line. The young scholar instantly knew it was his good friend. “Glenn, I’m at the College of Creative Studies,” Neville said. “You would love it here. Why don’t you apply?” 

While Glenn’s university list at the time focused on state schools, the prospect intrigued him. “The thing that attracted me to the College—and I in no way was disappointed when I got there—was the prospect of freedom,” Glenn reminisced. “The freedom to create my own curriculum with faculty looking over my shoulder and telling me if I’m going in the wrong direction.” Glenn applied and promptly found a home at CCS. “I realized this was something that was going to really fit my personality and way of doing mathematics,” he said. “It was a no-brainer.”

“I had my own ideas about things. It's very important to have your own ideas and the College allowed that. They encouraged it, if anything.”

— Glenn Stevens ’74 (CCS Mathematics)

At CCS, individualism was celebrated and failure was viewed as a vehicle for discovery. Glenn credits Professor Max Weiss (1933-2022)—a founding faculty member of the CCS Mathematics program and second Provost of the College (1984-1988)—with pushing him past his creative limits.

In fact, one of his most impactful lessons came in the form of a near-F in a Real and Complex Analysis course taught by another CCS faculty member. Guided back on track by his faculty mentor Professor Weiss, Glenn recovered with an ‘incomplete,’ but the lesson remained.

“The most important things that you do in your life are the ones that you work at like crazy.”

— Glenn Stevens ’74 (CCS Mathematics)

“That's another very important moment that one must have in a life—to realize that there are limitations and that you have to work to get through things,” he reflected. “Up until that point, I thought I could do a zillion things at once, and do them all really well. But I learned from that experience that no—it doesn't always work that way. The most important things that you do in your life are the ones that you work at like crazy.”

Glenn viewed this moment as a necessary turning point in his personal growth and a common theme he sees today with PROMYS participants. “They come in and are used to being the smartest person in the room, and suddenly everybody's smart and it's hard and they have to work for it.

“The best thing you could give people who are dedicated to what they’re doing, is the freedom to do it.”

— Glenn Stevens ’74 (CCS Mathematics)

Glenn found his people at the San Rafael dorm on campus, surrounded by CCS physicists, biologists, oceanographers, and more who mirrored his hunger for knowledge and exploration. “They had this belief where everything was possible if they were just allowed to do it, and the college provided that opportunity,” Glenn said. “The best thing you could give people who are dedicated to what they’re doing, is the freedom to do it."

Post Graduation & PROMYS: Sharing a Love for Mathematics Around the World

After graduating from CCS, Glenn conducted research in Göttingen, Germany through a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellowship, finding himself in close proximity to the legacy of historic mathematicians like Carl Friedrich Gauss. He earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics at  Harvard University in 1981 and joined Boston University (BU) as a professor of mathematics in 1984, specializing in Number Theory, Automorphic Forms, and Arithmetic Geometry.

Shortly after joining BU, he co-founded PROMYS to put his educational philosophy into practice: focusing on mathematical habits of mind rather than rote computation. Students are challenged to explore the ‘why’ behind their work, rather than just the ‘what.’ For Glenn, empowering young people means getting out of their way and giving them room to grow: “If you give them the opportunity and if they're inclined to do it, then they can do it. You can't think of it as something that you do for them, but if you can get them to believe in themselves—that's a big step.”

What started as a six week summer program has blossomed into a family of programs. PROMYS hires college undergraduates as mentors—including CCS’ own Eden Sylvester ‘27 (CCS Mathematics)—and runs teacher workshops and initiatives aimed at underrepresented communities that otherwise would not have access to such opportunities.

Glenn recalls one participant who showed immense promise but hadn't considered graduate school due to financial constraints and language barriers facing his parents. “So we took this kid to the financial aid office at BU and encouraged him to fill out the form and get his parents to sign it.” Today, that student is excelling in a graduate program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Stories like these drive the next era of PROMYS, which has expanded into Europe and India while staying true to its founding mission: providing young thinkers with the freedom, community, and habits of mind to explore deep mathematical discovery.

Words of Wisdom for the Next Generation

Reflecting on his journey, Glenn encourages current and future students to slow down and take advantage of every educational resource at their fingertips.

“Don’t miss the opportunities that you have here, especially the community,” he says. “Talk to your fellow students, meet your faculty, don’t underestimate the importance of your colleagues.”

These days, Glenn remains connected with Neville and other CCS peers through biweekly Zoom gatherings. In true CCS fashion, the group includes alumni across various majors who meet virtually to catch up, talk about life, and deep dive into whatever topics interest them at that moment. 

In a September Zoom call, Glenn and several other regular attendees posed for a group photo to accompany this story.

Learn more about Glenn Stevens’ research and professional  life. 

Learn more about PROMYS.

Glenn exemplifies the essence of CCS and why it attracts student scholars like Glenn who are deep learners who excel in their fields and care deeply about giving back to their communities. We applaud Glenn and welcome other alumni to contact us at ccs-info@ucsb.edu with their stories.  Thank you, Glenn, for entrusting us with your story and allowing us to share it with the CCS community.