Candidate Biographies (2017)
Candidates for member-at-large and graduate student representative are listed alphabetically by last name. Scroll down the page to view each candidates or click on a candidate’s name to be taken to their biography.
Candidates for Member-at-Large
Mary Beisiegel, Oregon State University
Theodore Chao, The Ohio State University
Viktor Freiman, Université de Moncton
Duane Graysay, Syracuse University
Rebecca McGraw, University of Arizona
Chandra Orrill, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Candidates for Graduate Student Representative
Jill Ashby, Utah State University
Daria Gerasimova, George Mason University
Mary A.Ochieng, Western Michigan University
Blain Patterson, North Carolina State University
Premkumar Pugalenthi, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Susanne Strachota, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Nicole Venuto, Georgia State University
Dawn Woods, Southern Methodist University
Wenmin Zhao, University of Missouri
Candidates for Member-at-Large
Mary Beisiegel, Oregon State University
I am an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Mathematics at Oregon State University. I am honored to be nominated for a position on the steering committee of PME-NA. I teach mathematics content courses for pre-service secondary mathematics teachers, as well as graduate-level mathematics education courses that focus on mathematical knowledge for teaching and historical and cultural roots of mathematics. My research is focused on professional development for teachers and the quality of mathematics present in mathematics classrooms. Over the past few years, I have primarily worked with elementary and middle school teachers. More recently, my focus has turned to mathematics graduate students and preparing them to enact active learning. Through reviewing proposals and presenting my research, I see PME-NA as a community essential for my growth as a mathematics education researcher and I would love the opportunity to serve the community by being a member of the steering committee.
Theodore Chao, The Ohio State University
Theodore Chao is an assistant professor of Mathematics Education at The Ohio State University. His research involves empowering all students and teachers, regardless of social identity (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.), to learn and teach mathematics. He uses Photovoice interviews to explore how mathematics teacher of color connect mathematics teacher identities with racialized social identities. He also builds mobile app technology to help children share mathematical strategies with each other, opening up windows for teachers to listen to children’s mathematical thinking.
Dr. Chao has published in Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, and Digital Experiences in Mathematics Education. He has also been a PI on two IES-funded projects exploring how online, game-based elementary mathematics curricula can help teachers’ structure and orchestrate classroom discussions. He is currently a section editor for Teaching Children Mathematics’ “Postscripts”, an editorial panel member of Mathematics Teacher Educator, and an organizer for the Free Minds, Free People conference.
Dr. Chao has attended the PME-NA conference for the past 12 years, presenting at almost all of them. Dr. Chao is excited for the opportunity to serve an organization and community that has helped him grow immensely as a scholar and activist.
Viktor Freiman, Université de Moncton
My implication in different groups and associations includes six years of being on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group (treasurer, 2011-2017), and of the APTICA (Avancement pédagogique des TIC en Atlantique – Pedagogical Advancement of ICT in the Atlantic Canada) association (president, 2006-2010 and 2012-2015). I’m currently a member of the International Committee of the International Group on Creativity and Mathematical Giftedness. I’m also co-editor of the Springer Book Series Mathematics Education in the Digital Era (since 2013). With my commitment to be a part of the Steering Committee, I would like to contribute to the three main goals of the PME-NA by encouraging international collaboration, interdisciplinary approach as well as actively contributing to the increasing of collective understanding of the psychological aspects of teaching and learning mathematics, and in particular, by tightening connections between communities of research and practice, increasing the role of the linguistic minorities in the North America, including the French Canadians, by deepening and enriching mathematics experiences for all learners, reinforcing STEAM movement, investigating affordances of digital media and 21st century (soft) skills, as well as innovative ways of promoting mathematics education in the North America and worldwide.
Duane Graysay, Syracuse University
My research involvement has focused on the ways that undergraduate students engage in constructing general statements through processes of generalizing and conjecturing. My scholarly agenda has two main lines: to contribute to understanding mathematical generalizing and conjecturing as individual processes, including understanding how students learn to engage in such processes across various mathematical domains; and to help teachers, both inservice and preservice, develop the knowledge and skill to help foster students’ development with respect to generalizing and conjecturing. I have presented at various regional and national conferences of associations including PME-NA, NCTM, RUME, AMTE, and AMS.
Rebecca McGraw, University of Arizona
Rebecca McGraw is an associate professor of mathematics education at the University of Arizona. She is an active member of the PME-NA community, and has co-authored proceedings papers with graduate and undergraduate students, as well as faculty. Dr. McGraw served on the local organizing committee for the 2016 PME-NA conference, and she has experience leading research and teacher development projects, including organizing workshops and conference events. Dr. McGraw’s current research focuses on the ways students establish problem spaces and boundaries when working on contextualized, non-routine problems, and she will present on this topic at PME-NA in Indianapolis. Dr. McGraw is particularly interested in developing opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in conference events and engage with the PME-NA research community.
Chandra Orrill, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
I am the Director of the Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education and an Associate Professor at UMass Dartmouth. My research is focused on how teachers understand the mathematics they teach, how we measure that knowledge, and how we design professional learning experiences to develop knowledge.
I began attending PME-NA regularly in 2009. PME-NA is important because of the role it plays in highlighting a wide spectrum of research on how we think, learn, and communicate about mathematics. I see the organization as a great community for mathematics educators across the span of their careers. In the past, I have served as the President of the Research, Theory, and Development division of the Association of Educational Communications and Technology. I also have local leadership experience having just completed a term as department chair at UMass Dartmouth. My background allows me to understand issues from multiple perspectives. As a member of the Steering Committee, I would focus on making the work of PME-NA accessible. This includes raising our visibility, trying to make our work relevant to the policy world, and working to make our organization accessible to new people in the field.
Candidates for Graduate Student Representative
I am a PhD student at Utah State University, studying under Patricia Moyer-Packenham. I am studying Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Mathematics, and I am a teaching and research assistant. I have taught two different math methods courses for pre-service elementary teachers. My leadership experience includes duties with the Reversibility and Early Algebra Research Group as well as leading the data analysis for Experiment 1 for the Virtual Manipulative Research Group. My research interest is in Mathematical Modeling, and I am a member of the Mathematical Modeling working group for PME-NA, and will be initiating a pilot study on this topic within the next year.
As a PME-NA graduate student representative, I will continue our reputation for mentoring and supporting graduate students. I love the graduate student lunches and socials and have ideas for logistical improvement. I especially love the mentor lunches for providing a casual setting for questioning. I would be interested in somehow integrating this kind of idea throughout the working groups. I would also be interested in connecting graduate students before the conference. This would allow those involved to meet virtually and potentially orchestrate shared housing. Thank you for this exciting opportunity.
I am a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Education at George Mason University. My specialization is Mathematics Education with a secondary concentration in Quantitative Research Methodology (a particular emphasis on Applied Educational Measurement). My interests in the substantive area include exploring the nature of student engagement in mathematics classrooms and its interplay with motivational factors, learning outcomes, and instruction. In the area of methodology, I am interested in the processes of instrument development and validation. My doctoral research combines these two areas. For my dissertation project, sponsored by the Spencer Foundation, I am developing an instrument to measure student in-class engagement in mathematics. Prior to that, I also served as a graduate research assistant on an NSF-funded project.
Throughout my doctoral studies, I have participated in a number of professional development and career preparation activities including mentoring sessions, networking events, internships, etc. I found these experiences invaluable for my own readiness for a future job search and post-graduation career. As a PME-NA graduate student representative, I will aim to organize more career preparation opportunities for graduate students in mathematics education. Furthermore, I am determined to help the conference organizing committee make the conference experience for graduate students more meaningful and worthwhile.
I am a doctoral student in Mathematics Education at Western Michigan University. I have attended PME-NA conferences since 2013 when I started my doctoral program. My interest in Mathematics Education began, as a secondary mathematics teacher in Kenya, with a desire to improve my own teaching and support my colleagues. My work experiences from 2011 to 2013 at the Center for Applied Research in Mathematical Sciences (CARMS), Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya significantly shaped my decision to pursue a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education. A professional development program I attended in Cape Town, South Africa facilitated by the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Center (AIMMSEC), in 2010 initiated my interest in student thinking. As I have progressed in my doctoral program my interest has been stirred in different directions as I worked on the MOST project and from content I have learned in my coursework. My current research focus is on preservice teachers’ learning through pedagogies of enactment.
Blain Patterson, North Carolina State University
Blain Patterson is a PhD student in mathematics education at North Carolina State University. His teaching experience includes working with a diverse group of learners, ranging from elementary to college students. He has conducted research in the areas of undergraduate mathematics education, rational number reasoning, and student understanding of function, presenting his results at local, state, and national conferences. His current research involves investigating the relationship the perceptions of the usefulness of advanced mathematics, specifically real analysis, for teaching high school mathematics. Although he is new to PME-NA and attended his first conference last fall, Blain is excited about the opportunity to serve on the Steering Committee and help PME-NA flourish.
Premkumar Pugalenthi, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
I am doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics Education at UNC Charlotte. In December 2012, I received my Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the UNC Charlotte College of Engineering. After my Master’s graduation, I worked as STEM Education specialist in UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education and the experience at the Center sparked my research interest in STEM Education particularly on the cognitive aspects of learning and teaching while integrating engineering in K-12 mathematics classrooms. In addition to pursuing my doctoral studies, I am still working as a STEM Education Specialist at UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education. I feel the future of mathematics education will have a strong focus on STEM and our understanding of psychological aspects of teaching and learning STEM based mathematics is still at its beginning stages. With an increased attention on STEM in K-12 education, I will utilize my expertise on this area to help PME-NA realize its goals that is “to promote interdisciplinary research” and also “to further a deeper and better understanding of the psychological aspects of teaching and learning of mathematics.” I will contribute to the leadership of the PME-NA as a graduate student member of the steering committee.
Susanne Strachota, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Susanne is a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying under Dr. Eric Knuth. She has presented at and reviewed for PMENA since 2015. Susanne is an active member of a PMENA working group and is currently collaborating on a project with other graduate students that was inspired by and initiated in a PMENA working group session.
Susanne has also attended a variety of conferences (interdisciplinary & international), including PME, in her four years as a graduate student giving her a broad perspective of academic conferences. As a graduate student, she has worked as a project assistant and university supervisor, giving her insight about the different roles and experiences of graduate students.
As a member of the PMENA steering committee, Susanne will have graduate students’ interests in mind, focusing on funding opportunities to ensure more students can attend the conference and incorporating more student networking opportunities into the conference agenda.
An interesting fact about her is that she is a member of the United States Streak Running Association.
Nicole Venuto, Georgia State University
I am a doctoral student concentrating in elementary mathematics education in the Early Childhood and Elementary Education Department at Georgia State University. My research focuses on discourse in the elementary mathematics classroom, particularly on developing and studying young children’s metacognitive processes as they talk and write about their mathematical thinking. A related area of interest is in examining how young children engage in conversations about mathematical concepts with peers and adults.
As a doctoral student, I have a strong commitment to being involved in and supporting the professional mathematics education community. I have presented at PMENA, AMTE, GCTM, and the Symposium on Elementary Mathematics Education in Prague. I have reviewed proposals for PMENA and I have served on the registration committee at the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (GCTM) annual conference. I recognize how important it is for graduate students to become immersed in professional organizations and to network with senior academics. If elected to the Steering Committee, I hope to bring the graduate student’s voice in finding ways PMENA can assist young scholars as they join the professional mathematics education community.
Dawn Woods, Southern Methodist University
As a former PK-6 classroom teacher, I bring a considerate perspective and curiosity to my research and work with pre- and in-service teachers from my immersion into the daily practice as a self-contained classroom teacher, a special education teacher, and an elementary and middle school math and science teacher in both private and public school settings. This unique perspective has allowed me the opportunity to address research questions while working on both university and IES grants that connect the psychological aspects of teaching and learning mathematics while applying these findings with both pre- and in-service teachers to strengthen their teaching practices. Specifically, my research focuses on (1) how teachers develop their instructional practices by learning how to notice and support students thinking about mathematics, (2) how the development of instructional practice affects students’ attitudes towards mathematics and their learning outcomes, and (3) how gestures can be a powerful tool in developing children’s mathematics understanding. I feel that these experiences position me to be uniquely qualified to serve on the steering committee, with the goal of working towards bringing interdisciplinary teams to be engaged in bridging theory, research, and practice.
My name is Wenmin Zhao. I am a third-year doctoral student majoring in Mathematics Education at the University of Missouri. I have had several experiences in leading student organizations in the past. Currently, I work as the president of the student organization Mathematics Education Research & Doctoral Studies at the University of Missouri.
I am enthusiastic about PME-NA and will make every effort to serve graduate students in this community. The role of graduate representatives in the steering committee, as I understand, is to listen to and represent our student members. If elected, I would open more channels for student members to express their opinions and needs. For example, I would suggest providing a forum for graduate students to provide feedback during decision-making.
Graduate students are an integral part of PME-NA because they bring diverse and unique perspectives to the conference. Therefore, I would also use this opportunity to promote graduate students engagement in PME-NA. One way of enhancing engagement would be developing more graduate student specific events during the conference.
I really enjoyed exchanging ideas during my past conference experiences. Hence, I want to contribute to all students and members having a meaningful and unforgettable experience in the future PME-NA conferences.