Current professional background
I am an Associate Professor at the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University, Tallahassee, United States, where I have been since 2006. I also worked as a high school mathematics teacher for many years.
Field of research
My primary research interests are the history of Mathematics and Mathematics Education.
Purpose of your last research visit
I came to Siegen in order to work with Prof. Dr. Witzke on designing seminars to help mathematics students. Many students who study mathematics at university struggle in their first few semesters because the style of teaching is so different. At the bachelor level in Germany the dropout rate for mathematics is about 50%.
Our seminars help students through this transition by explaining clearly what the differences in the style of teaching are. We use examples from history to help students to understand why there is such a difference between university and high school mathematics.
Relation to the University of Siegen and the local host
We began our scientific collaboration in 2014, after we started to discuss research ideas while we were both at a
European Summer University in Copenhagen. Since then we have made multiple research visits to one another’s universities, and published our findings in joint publications.
Future projects and Activities
We plan to visit one another to continue our collaborative work. Our research strongly benefits from different perspectives that international cooperation can bring. Most of the research in which I engage is highly dependent upon such international collaborations.
Impressions of Siegen
This particular institute is really unique in that the individuals that are here help to create one of the most well-connected, inviting, and motivational workplaces that I’ve been in.