Math Ed Doctoral Graduates
Congratulations to our PRIME Mathematics Education doctoral students who are defending their dissertation and graduating in Spring 2021 or Summer 2021: David Bowers, Sunghwan Byun, Durrell Jones, Andrew Krause, Leonardo Medel, Kevin Voogt, and Timothy Wegner.
Also, special congratulations to Brittany Dillman and Katie Rich, who have math ed interests and are graduating from the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology (EPET) doctoral program in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Special Education.
On Thursday, May 6, many from the MSU math ed community gathered outside on a wet,
chilly afternoon at Lake Lansing Park South, along with some family members. Ralph
Putnam, PRIME Director, welcomed all to the event. Graduating students in attendance
were honored with a hooding and accolades from an advisor or guidance committee member.
Some graduates also participated in the CITE and PRIME virtual graduation ceremony on May 7th, which can be viewed here. MSU offered a Virtual Commencement for Doctoral Degrees in the afternoon of May 7th. The event was pre-recorded and is posted here.
When we can safely gather inside as a large group, PRIME will have a more formal luncheon and celebration of mathematics education graduates from 2020 and 2021 (likely in Spring 2022).
Some accomplishments and research interests for each of the PRIME PhD graduates is listed below. Each doctoral student name below links to their spotlight article written when they first began the PRIME program. Since then, many students have expanded not only their immediate families, but now have extensive MSU families, along with their increased knowledge of mathematics education and research!
David Bowers is a Blake and Mary Kreuger University Distinguished Fellowship recipient, traveled
to France in 2019 on a Fellowship to Enhance Global Understanding, received the Tracy
Hammer Graduate Student Award also in 2019, a Zweng Award in 2018, and this academic
year was a Graduate School Writing Fellow. His dissertation research is on Anarchic
Mathematics Education: Ethic, Motivation, and Praxis. He is planning for a July dissertation
defense. David accepted a position as Clinical Assistant Professor at University of
Tennessee Knoxville.
Sunghwan Byun is a University Distinguished Fellowship recipient, a 2019 Zweng Award recipient,
a 2-year SUTL Fellow (2018-20), and was a Graduate School Writing Fellow this year
with David. He also completed a master's degree in Statistics while in the doctoral
program. Sunghwan’s dissertation defense on May 28th is titled Interactional work of Advanced Placement mathematics teachers toward equitable and
productive mathematical discussions. Sunghwan accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, Department
of STEM Education, North Carolina State University.
Durrell Jones successfully defended his dissertation on May 4th, and plans to graduate in Spring 2021. His dissertation is titled A Critical Race Examination of Four Young Black Men’s Participation in Community College
Developmental/Remedial Mathematics. Durrell received a PRIME fellowship, traveled to Cuba in 2015 on a Fellowship to
Enhance Global Understanding, and was the recipient of CNS Continuation fellowships
and a Dissertation Completion Fellowship. Durrell is an instructor in the Department
of Mathematics at Montgomery County Community College in PA.
Andrew Krause has received the Rasmussen Fellowship and CNS 1 year recruiting fellowship during
his first year in the program, was a FAST Fellowship recipient his second year, and
most recently received a 2019-20 STEM Teaching and Learning Fellowship from MSU, CNS
Continuation Fellowship, and a Dissertation Completion Fellowship. Andy’s research
interest is teaching and learning at the early undergraduate level, primarily in calculus. Andy
is an Academic Teaching Specialist and co-Coordinator of the Center for Instructional
Mentoring in the Department of Mathematics at Michigan State University.
Leonardo Medel came to MSU with a Becas Chile Scholarship. He has also received a CNS 1 year recruiting
fellowship, CNS Continuation Fellowship, and a PRIME Fellowship. Leo is interested
in the teaching and learning of elementary mathematics. More specifically, he works
with elementary teachers learning about relevant aspects of their Mathematical Content
Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge; their strengths, weaknesses and how to
improve their teaching. Leo is a Mathematics Education Professor in the School of
Education at Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago, Chile.
Kevin Voogt has received CNS Continuation Fellowships, a 2017 LeMense Award, a 2018 Zweng Award,
Dissertation Completion Fellowship, and a PRIME Fellowship. His research interests
include studying the phenomenon of mathematics aversion, including what it looks like
at different stages in peoples' lives from elementary school through adulthood. He
is also interested in self-efficacy theory and any possible relationship between students'
self-efficacy in mathematics and their feelings about mathematics. His dissertation
defense is scheduled for June 15th. Kevin accepted an Assistant Professor of Education position at Grace College in
Indiana.
Tim Wegner is the recipient of a CNS 1 year recruiting fellowship during his first year in the
program, a CNS Continuation Fellowship, Dissertation Completion Fellowship, and a
PRIME Fellowship. He is interested in how students and teachers interact with technology
in post-secondary classrooms, and in how technology tools can change the types of
tasks that students are expected to do (both inside and outside the classroom). Tim
is an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics
Department at Spring Arbor University.
We wish all of our graduating doctoral students at MSU the best in their scholarly pursuits. Please check back to our website for the summer defense dates, further information, and times. The public is invited to attend.
