Catherine Perry Cotten

Dr. Catherine Perry Cotten was inducted into the College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. She was previously inducted into the College of Education and Human Services Hall of Fame and named the College's Distinguished Alumna in 2016.

Cotten earned her B.A. in mathematics and M.A. in curriculum and instruction from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in science education from the University of Southern Mississippi, with emphasis areas in mathematics and educational research. She also completed graduate coursework in robotics and artificial intelligence.

She served in public and private education for over 40 years, holding teaching and administrative positions at the elementary, secondary, and university levels across West Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas. She taught mathematics, computer science, statistics, and technology integration for teachers, and chaired several academic departments.

Cotten was one of the nation’s first recipients of the National Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching and was recognized at the White House. She also participated in the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Institute for Mathematics Teachers at Princeton University. Throughout her career, she developed and directed higher education projects that secured over $12 million in funding for curriculum development, teacher training, and workforce technology programs. Several of these initiatives, including a multi-state software engineering degree consortium, were recognized as exemplary by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the American Association of Community Colleges.