Fifth-Year Students
Allison Gantt
After teaching mathematics in secondary contexts for seven years, primarily in Wilmington, Delaware, I developed a strong interest in the transformative experiences that can occur in the mathematics classroom. I joined the Ph.D. program at the University of Delaware to pursue my interests in the study of the school mathematics experience. My research interests focus on how teaching and learning connect, with a focus on secondary algebra content. I am currently exploring how middle school students develop their representational activity through their classroom interactions.
Yue Ma
Working as a secondary school math teacher encouraged me to purse my M.A. in Educational Studies from University of Michigan. Then I started the PhD program in mathematics education because I am especially interested in how teachers and materials can better support student learning. My current research focuses on how teachers direct students’ noticing by observing the teacher’s words, gestures, and the interaction with the materials. I am still open to any other related topics on mathematics education.
Fourth-Year Students
Srujana Acharya
As I was completing my MSc in Mathematics from India in 2020, I started teaching high school students due to my interest. For the past year, I taught at various levels (elementary school to undergraduate courses), trained students for various competitions (including the International Mathematics Olympiad), and worked with high school teachers to adapt themselves for virtual teaching (introducing them to GeoGebra, Desmos, etc.). As I worked more, I saw the necessity of understanding more about mathematics education and the opportunities that could open up to work on a broader scale, which led me to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics education at UD. My current research interests include examining how various variables affect students’ mathematical understanding, understanding different learning methods, and investigating the role of the curriculum.
Sümeyye Kurutaş
After graduating from Bogazici University with a bachelor’s degree of Mathematics Education, I worked as assistant teacher in Italy for six months. Then I got my M.S. in Secondary School Science and Mathematics Education. During my master’s study, I got the chance to study in Finland for a semester and take a variety of courses including qualitative research methods, educational leadership, and international education policy and practices. My master’s thesis was about exploration of effective professional development characteristics from the perspective of PD coordinator, facilitator, and participants. After finishing my master’s study, I worked as math teacher in an international school for a year. Since I was so excited for doing research, I wanted to pursue my Ph.D. study here in UD. I am interested in learning more about how we can reinforce teacher learning, how their learning turns into practice, and learning environment design.
Third-Year Students
Rebecca Memmolo
After graduating from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Elementary Education, I worked as a first-grade classroom teacher in Asheville, NC until earning my M.A. in Mathematics Education from the University of Maryland. While earning my degree, I served as a University Supervisor for Middle School Math and Science teacher candidates. Most recently, I worked as a middle school mathematics teacher in Wilmington, DE until I began at the University of Delaware in the Mathematics Education Ph.D. program. My experiences sparked my interest in the relationships teachers and students have with mathematics. Presently, my research interests are in mathematical identity, and specifically, how pre service teachers’ experiences as students in mathematics classrooms coalesce with their attitudes and beliefs towards mathematics teaching.
Second-Year Students
Allie Olshefke
After graduating from The University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in Physics, I taught twelfth-grade math in Atlanta while earning an M.Ed. through Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education Teaching Fellows program. I transitioned out of the classroom to pursue my passion for education research, and worked as both the Curriculum Developer and Evaluation & Research Assistant for a National Science Foundation Small Business Technology Transfer Project focused on integrating STEM and music in a 3rd-grade virtual camp setting. Before beginning the Ph.D. program at the University of Delaware, I worked as the Associate Research Director for the ACE Ascent Program in Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives, which focuses on building up collective leadership models (including teacher leadership/coaching) in Catholic schools.
My emerging research interests include Calculus teaching and learning, particularly in the areas of task design and students’ construction of knowledge.
First-Year Students
Osmond Asiamah
Margaret Ellis
Abigail Quick
Former Students
Dr. Casey Griffin – Assistant Professor, University of La Verne
Dr. Kateri Sternberg – Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Delaware
Dr. Amanda Mohamed Mirzaei – Assistant Professor, Manhattanville
University
Dr. Steve Silber – Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech University
Dr. Laura Willoughby – Mathematics Instructional Specialist, School Success Center,
University of Delaware
Dr. Julien Corven – Assistant Professor, Illinois State University
Dr. Kwaku Edusei – Instructor, International School Bangkok
Dr. Matthew Melville – Assistant Professor, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Dr. Kelly Curtis – Mathematics Instructional Specialist, School Success Center, University of Delaware
Dr. Kristin McKenney – Teacher, Cab Calloway School of the Arts
Dr. Jenifer Hummer – Assistant Professor, West Chester University
Dr. Tony Mixell – Adjunct Professor, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Joe DiNapoli – Associate Professor, Montclair State University
Dr. Siobahn Suppa – Associate Professor, Stockton University
Dr. Emily Miller – Associate Professor, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Ali Marzocchi – Professor, California State University in Fullerton
Dr. Erin Meikle – Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh (retired)
Dr. Heather Gallivan – Associate Professor, University of Northern Iowa
Dr. Susana Molitoris-Miller – Assistant Professor, Kutztown University
Dr. Taffy McAneny – Assistant Professor, West Chester University of Pennsylvania (retired)
Dr. Jathan Austin – Associate Professor, Salisbury University
Dr. Rob Wieman – Associate Professor, Rowan University
Dr. Nancy Dyson – Assistant Professor, University of Delaware
Dr. Eric Sisofo – Assistant Professor, University of Delaware
Dr. Corey Webel – Associate Professor, University of Missouri
Dr. Brian Bowen – Professor, West Chester State University
Dr. Christine Phelps-Gregory – Professor, Central Michigan University
Dr. Delayne Johnson – Associate Professor, Delaware State University
Dr. Sandy Spitzer – Professor & Director of M.S. in Math Education, Towson University
Dr. Lauren Goggins – Teacher, William Penn High School
Dr. James Beyers – Professor, The College of New Jersey
Dr. Rodney McNair – Professor, Delaware State University (retired)
Dr. Stephen Hwang – Research Associate, University of Delaware
Dr. Nicola Edwards – Associate Professor, Delaware State University
Dr. Yuichi Handa – Professor, University of California, Chico (retired)
Dr. Julie Cwikla – Professor, University of Southern Mississippi
Dr. Margaret Smith – Professor, Iona College
Dr. Theresa Grant – Professor, Western Michigan University
Dr. David Slavit – Professor, Washington State University
Header Photograph: “Longwood Gardens” by Dr. Amanda Jansen