Irl C. Bivens, recipient of the George Polya Award and the Merten M. Hasse Prize for Expository Writing in Mathematics, received his A.B. from Pfeiffer College and his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both in mathematics. Since 1982, he has taught at Davidson College, where he currently holds the position of professor of mathematics. A typical academic year sees him teaching courses in calculus, topology, and geometry. Dr. Bivens also enjoys mathematical history, and his annual History of Mathematics seminar is a perennial favorite with Davidson mathematics majors. He has published numerous articles on undergraduate mathematics, as well as research papers in his specialty, differential geometry. he is currently a member of the editorial board for the MAA Problem Book series and is a reviewer for Mathematical Reviews. When he is not pursuing mathematics, Professor Bivens enjoys juggling, swimming, walking, and spending time with his son Robert.