In September of 1920 Teresa Cohen began a teaching career at Penn State that lasted over 60 years. She was the first female member of the university's mathematics department, and the only woman for her first three-and-a half years at the school.

Cohen was promoted to assistant professor in 1921, to associate professor in 1939, and to full professor in 1945 (one of only a few university full professors in the country at that time who were female.) Due to university regulations, she officially retired from Penn State at the end of 1961 but spent much of the next twenty-four years tutoring math students for free. As she once said, "I just like the pleasure of explaining and seeing someone understand." She continued devoting her time and energy to students until an accident at the age of 94 forced her to enter a nursing home in Baltimore.

In 1982 the Department of Mathematics at Penn State established the Teresa Cohen Service Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching to honor Teresa Cohen's achievements. The award is given every two years to two faculty members, one at the main University Park campus and another at one of the nineteen Commonwealth campuses.

Recipients are:

Date	University Park	Commonwealth Campus
2007	James A. Sellers	Charles Helou, Delaware County
2005	Jinchao Xu	David Hurtubise, Altoona
2002	W. Dale Brownawell	Lothar Redlin, Abington
2000	M. Carme Calderer	Richard Barshinger, Scranton
1998	Douglas N. Arnold	Zhibo Chen, McKeesport
1996	C. Eugene Wayne	Javier Gomez-Calderon, New Kensington
1994	David M. Bressoud	Ayoub B. Ayoub, Ogontz
1992	George E. Andrews	John Dawson, York
1990	Donald C. Rung	Jacquelyn Wells, New Kensington
1988	Peter Morris	David Wells, New Kensington
1986	Paul Axt	Richard Call, Allentown
1985	Peter H. Maserick	James J. Reynolds, Beaver
1984	Mary McCammon	Ronald Harshbarger, Beaver
1983	Robert Wells	Anton Glaser, Ogontz
1982	Raymond G. Ayoub	Roy E. Myers, New Kensington