PRIME Welcomes Christopher Waston

The Program in Mathematics Education (PRIME) is delighted to welcome a new member to the mathematics education community: Christopher Waston.

Here at PRIME, Chris is a specialist working with the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP). He will be focusing on communications and technology which includes managing websites, social media accounts, communicating the story of CMP with stakeholders, collaborating with the team to support data collection and analysis, and assisting with CMP events in-person and online.

Before coming to work at PRIME Chris was the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Mathematics for the University Prep School District in Detroit, spending a total of 9 years there.

Chris is from Detroit, Michigan and grew up on the east side of the city although he went to school on the west side for all his life. Throughout Chris’s life he has lived in a few different areas in Michigan including East Lansing and Rochester Hills.

While growing up, Chris engaged in a number of extracurricular activities. During his K-12 years he enjoyed participating in academic games and chess. Chris then attended Michigan State University (GO GREEN!) where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His bachelor's degree is in elementary education with a minor in mathematics and his master’s degree is in teaching and curriculum with a concentration in K-12 administration. While attending Michigan State University he helped start a student organization focused on transforming education and increasing the number of Black males in the teaching profession.

He stated, “I continue to work towards transforming education and increasing the number of Black males in the teaching profession through my work with the nonprofit Black Male Educators Alliance where I serve as the Director of Marketing.”

After completing his undergraduate degree, Chris traveled to study in New Zealand and Australia for 6 weeks. Chris commented, “That was an amazing experience coming out of undergrad. I had the opportunity to visit a variety of schools and live with two different host families.” 

Another amazing trip that Chris reminisces about is when he went skydiving with his wife. He shared, “Jumping out of a plane was never something I imagined myself doing but the experience was exhilarating, to say the least!”

When Chris has some spare time, he reads self-help books, tests cool technology, listens to sports radio, and watches the Detroit Lions as well as the MSU Spartans. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, Sarah, and their four children.

 “They keep us busy but provide us with a lot of memories and love on a daily basis,” Chris remarked.

We are excited to welcome Chris to PRIME and look forward to getting to know him even better. Welcome to PRIME, Chris!

Written by

Liz Havey