Team

Jessica Hunt

Dr. Hunt’s research supports a re-conceptualization of research and instructional practice across mathematics education and special education such that students with disabilities can build mathematics proficiency. Mounting empirical evidence across both fields suggests educational disparities these students experience are caused by opportunity gaps that stem from remedial instruction as opposed to instruction that affords students access to their own reasoning from which to build in mathematics proficiency and agency. Hunt argues that mathematics instruction for these students should work to (a) uncover students’ strengths, (b) give them access to their mathematical reasoning, and (c) support the advance of that reasoning.

Alex Duarte

Alex Duarte is a doctoral student in the Elementary Education Mathematics and Science program in the department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from and her Master’s degree from . She has taught first through fourth grades grade and served as the ELL and RTI coordinator in Washington, DC. Her research interests focus on trajectories of student learning in the early years and teacher coaching.

Kristi Martin

Kristi Martin is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at Sam Houston State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and her Master’s and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. She has taught high school mathematics and history, community college mathematics, and undergraduate mathematics education. Her research focuses on the teaching and learning of trigonometry and pre-service teacher development.

Blain Patterson

Blain Patterson is an Assistant Professor in Mathematics Education at Virginia Military Institute. He earned his B.S. in Mathematics Education from Youngstown State University and his M.S and Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from North Carolina State University. Although Blain started his Master’s directly after he finished his undergraduate degree, he has been teaching diverse populations of students along the way. Blain has taught grades 4 through college, ranging from academically gifted students to those with learning disabilities. His research interest includes understanding how knowledge of advanced mathematics influences teaching practices.

Andy Khounmeuang

Andy Khounmeuang is currently a Junior in the College of Education at NC State with a dual major in Mathematics and Mathematics Education. He is currently working with Dr. Jessica Hunt and her colleagues with the FAACT project. Andy serves as the North Carolina Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM) Treasurer and specializes in fine grain analysis of small group interactions and coding of students’ mathematical problem solving.

Juanita Silva

Juanita Silva is an Assistant Professor in Mathematics Education at Texas State University. Her research addresses the positioning of Latina/o emerging bilinguals as agentic mathematical thinkers and problem solvers. Silva argues that positioning students as competent promotes access to participation in advanced mathematics coursework. Her dissertation documented the participation of ELs who were identified as struggling in mathematics or as having a learning disability (LD) in solving and discussing problems during a series of problem solving sessions.

Beth MacDonald

Beth L. MacDonald is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University. Her research focuses on how children described as “low-achieving” construct number and operations. This interdisciplinary work allows for collaboration with early childhood, special education, and cultural studies researchers. Prior to this work, MacDonald taught and led professional development in elementary schools.