PROJECT TEAM
PI, Dr. Amy Ellis​
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Dr. Amy Ellis is a professor of mathematics education at the University of Georgia. Amy completed her Ph.D. in Mathematics and Science Education at UCSD and SDSU, and she also holds a BA and and MA in mathematics. Prior to her appointment at UGA, Amy taught middle-school and high-school mathematics in California, and then spent 12 years as a professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Amy's scholarship is focused on supporting students' learning in middle school and high school. She studies student reasoning, particularly as it relates to algebra, generalization, and proof, as well as teachers' pedagogical practices aimed at fostering meaningful student engagement.
Amy enjoys running, hiking, cooking, traveling with her family, and being the reigning international math-ed arm wrestling champion.
co-PI, Dr. Elise Lockwood​
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Dr. Elise Lockwood is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Oregon State University. She received her PhD in Mathematics Education from Portland State University in 2011 and was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Her primary research interests focus on undergraduate students' reasoning about combinatorics, and she is passionate about improving the teaching and learning of discrete mathematics. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and Google, and her NSF Career Award explores ways in which computation and programming can be leveraged to support students’ combinatorial thinking and activity. Elise currently serves as co-editor in chief of the International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. She received the 2018 Selden Prize from the MAA, and she was given Oregon State University’s Promising Scholar Award in 2019. In 2019 she was a Fulbright Scholar to Norway, working with researchers at the University of Oslo.
In her spare time, Elise enjoys traveling, running, cooking, reading, collecting Rocket Raccoon comics, and playing with her Ragdoll cats.
co-PI, Dr. Kevin Moore​
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Dr. Kevin Moore is a Professor of Mathematics Education at University of Georgia. Kevin completed his Ph.D. in Mathematics at Arizona State University, and his M.S. and B.S. in Applied Mathematics at The University of Akron.
His research interests involve students' and teachers' covariational and quantitative reasoning, and particularly how their meanings influence their representational activity.
Kevin enjoys golf and traveling with his wife.
co-PI, Dr. Erik Tillema​
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Dr. Erik Tillema is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the school of education at Indiana University. He is a former middle and high school mathematics teacher who received his M.Ed. and Ph.D in mathematics education from the University of Georgia.
His primary research interests are: a. the ways in which middle grades and high school students’ combinatorial reasoning can serve as a basis for their establishment of algebraic structure; b. how middle and high school teachers can use combinatorial reasoning to support their students’ establishment of algebraic structure; and c. theoretically grounded accounts of students' and teachers' learning. He enjoys teaching students at all levels (early childhood to adults), and working with future and currently practicing teachers. Over the last three years he has been particularly active in re-imagining teacher preparation courses at Indiana University to better integrate field experiences with methods coursework for pre-service teachers.
When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his kids one of whom is a rock climber and the other of whom is a soccer player, gymnast, and dancer. Both of his kids keep him busy and happy.
Researcher, Anne Waswa​
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Anne is currently pursuing a PhD in Mathematics Education at the University of Georgia. She has an M.S. in Teaching and Curriculum from Syracuse University and a B.Ed. (Science) from Kenyatta University.
Her research interests are in mathematical creativity and in particular, understanding and fostering pre-service teachers' mathematical creativity.
Anne enjoys listening to music, nature walks and keeping fit.
Researcher, Michael Hamilton​
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Mike Hamilton is a Mathematics Education doctoral students at the University of Georgia. Prior to coming to UGA, Mike completed his B.S. in Mathematics and M.S. in Mathematical Sciences from the University of North Florida and spent six years teaching high school mathematics in Nashville, TN.
Mike’s research interests are in teacher education and teachers’ beliefs, particularly beliefs related to mathematical authority in the classroom.
When not working/studying, Mike is likely to be doing something outdoors with his wife and three boys.
Researcher, Dr. Halil Tasova​
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Dr. Halil Tasova is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at California State University-San Bernardino. Halil completed his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at the University of Georgia, and his M.S. and B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education at Marmara University, Turkey.
His research focuses on how students think and learn mathematics via reasoning about varying quantities. He is particularly interested in exploring students’ construction and interpretation of graphs from quantitative and covariational reasoning perspectives.
He enjoys playing baglama (a Turkish musical instrument), eating Turkish food, gardening, fishing, riding bikes with his son and daughter.
Researcher, Lori Burch​
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Lori Burch is a doctoral candidate in Mathematics Education at Indiana University, where she previously completed her M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction (Secondary Education). Lori spent twelve years in the high school mathematics classroom before beginning her doctoral work. She also earned a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from Franklin College.
Lori's research interests include studying how secondary students and teachers learn mathematics and how algebra teachers, in particular, understand the mathematics they teach.
When she is not working, Lori enjoys spending time with her two children, being outside, and sharing interests like food and music with others.