The University of Massachusetts Amherst

About Me

I am a Michigan native who landed in Massachusetts as a result of assuming a tenure-track appointment as Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After spending my first 45 years in the Midwest, my family and I relocated to Amherst in August 2008. I had successfully defended my dissertation on 08/08/08. Yes, math geek. We moved 10 days later.

Generally, my work encompasses professional development with secondary mathematics teachers in the context of urban and rural communities and specifically addresses issues of statistical knowledge for teaching and the use of dynamic cognitive tools for supporting learning. As a result of being Doctoral Fellow in the Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum, my research maintains strong connections to curriculum, and in particular, curriculum development in the context of teacher learning.

I tend toward Design Based research methodologies, because designing and studying learning environments for the purpose of supporting powerful learning opportunities for all learners is what I love to do and fortuitously informs the field. New curricular demands, new technologies, and continually evolving theories of learning provide a rich playground in which to create and investigate! That said, I have more areas of interest than I have time or resources to pursue. Areas of inquiry for me tend to involve quantitative and qualitative methods.

As PI on an NSF Noyce-funded Master Teaching Fellow/Teaching Fellow project, “Supporting STEM Teaching and Learning through Communities (S2TLC), I have been extensively involved in designing and studying learning contexts for secondary mathematics and science pre- and in-service teachers. The $4.5 million project is funded 2011-2019. I created what became our “logo” for the project (see below). Just by way of explanation, artistry is not a strength of mine and I don’t tend to love purple as a rule, but what I was shooting for was a representation that captured the acronym and some of what I thought we would be up to: 1) s-squared is represented by a square with dimensions s units by s units–clearly mathematical; 2) teaching is a work of heart and requires a great deal of TLC (tender loving care); 3) purple because the purple heart signifies bravery in the face of battle and as teachers in the political climate of today, teaching is an absolute act of courage and requires amazing strength and fortitude; and 4) the asymmetrical heart suggests perfect imperfection, as Gilda Radner might say, “Delicious Ambiguity.”  The management team was not so enamored with the image until I explained it. Somehow it became the de facto symbol for the project : )

S2TLC_logo

Leaving Michigan has been an adventure for my family. When we moved, my two oldest daughters were in their first and second years of college, respectively, and my two sons were entering 1st and 5th grades. Traumatic at times and exciting at others, but turbulent for sure. At the time of this writing, we have been here for 11 years and are still adjusting in many ways and for many reasons, wondering whether Amherst will remain our place of residence.  We’ll see. . . .

In the meantime, I am blessed to do work that I mostly love and my kids are healthy, happy, and the absolute greatest joys of my life. Amanda, Chelsea, Keegan, & Logan–we’ve learned a lot, haven’t we? And now we have baby Pierce (and Bryan and Tony!)!All4kids

 

 

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