The William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence were created in 1991 with a $500,000 gift from the William T. Kemper Foundation to honor 10 outstanding MU teachers each year for five consecutive years. In 1995 and 2000, the Kemper Foundation extended the program for five additional years with gifts of $500,000. Commerce Bank serves as the trustee for the Kemper Foundation. On April 11, 2005, University of Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton and Chairman Jim Schatz of Commerce Bank in the central Missouri region paid a surprise visit to the classroom of Dorina Mitrea, to honor her with a Kemper Fellowship that includes a $10,000 award.
Dorina Mitrea, a leader in the academic and research fields, moves beyond traditional boundaries in her role as an associate professor in the University of Missouri's Department of Mathematics. As one colleague noted, "Both undergraduate and graduate students repeatedly praise her approach in both formal and informal settings." In addition to teaching courses offered in the mathematics department, Mitrea is involved in several research projects that have received funding from the National Science Foundation. She has co-authored two books and several other research articles. For her outstanding teaching and leadership activities, Mitrea has received several awards including the 2002 Provost's Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award. In 2003, she coached the Missouri Mathcounts team that placed second in the national competition and was honored by President George W. Bush at the White House. Mitrea spreads her love of math to younger students by volunteering at local middle schools.