Celebrating 2025 Math Ed Community Graduates

As the academic year comes to a close, the Program in Mathematics Education (PRIME) proudly celebrated the accomplishments of its graduates, alongside those from other departments who share a deep commitment to mathematics education. This year, we recognized Sofía Abreu, a dedicated PRIME student, and Samara Chamoun, a scholar from the Department of Mathematics with a strong interest in mathematics education. PRIME’s Katie Westby was not in attendance, but plans to graduate this summer. 

 

Sofía has been a vibrant part of the PRIME community, contributing to research, coursework, and conversations that push the boundaries of mathematics education. She successfully presented her dissertation last week in a unique and creative format via the 360 room of the MSU Library. Throughout her time at MSU, Sofía has been a supportive colleague, an insightful researcher, and an advocate for equity and innovation in the field.

 

Sofía’s advisor, Higinio Dominguez, spoke of ways in which they were similar, described Sofía’s qualities and characteristics that defined her work here and wished her well. As she prepares for the next chapter, Sofía leaves behind a legacy of intellectual curiosity and dedication to improving math education for all learners. 

 

Though Samara pursued her degree in mathematics, her current and future research interests intersect meaningfully with the broader field of mathematics education. Samara’s engagement with the mathematics education community at MSU has enriched our collective work and highlighted the importance of cross-departmental collaboration.  

One of Samara’s guidance committee members, Gabor Francsics, shared some comments about Samara’s research and her scholarly time at MSU. We wish Samara the best in her postdoc position at the University of Notre Dame! 

Katie Westby has been finishing her dissertation from afar while working full-time as an Assistant Director at Educational Therapy in Connecticut since last August. Katie’s research looks at positioning and authority in mathematics classrooms as they segregate—albeit not always physically—SWD (Students With Disabilities) and the effects of this positioning in the development of SWD’s identities. Katie has been an active PRIME member during her time at MSU, from mentoring students and leading and serving on multiple committees as well as championing for equity for all. 

Congratulations to Sofía, Samara, Katie, and all of this year’s graduates who are working to improve mathematics education. Your work matters—and we can’t wait to see what’s ahead for each of you!