Professional Activities
Beverly J. Ferrucci, Professor of Mathematics, was a keynote speaker at the International Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. Her presentation, titled “Enriching Investigations to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in the Primary Mathematics Classroom,”_ _presented a range of insightful tasks that provoke an understanding of critical thinking and algebraic reasoning skills in primary students. It also presented opportunities for the attendees to reflect on current classroom practices and to explore a multitude of ways to enhance students’ mathematical understandings. The theme of the conference was “Mathematics Education: Expanding Horizons” and its goal was to serve as a forum for international mathematics educators, researchers, and practitioners to present their research, knowledge, and best practices on innovations in mathematical education with cultural diversity.
Dr. Skye Stephenson, Director of the Global Education Office, was one of thirty people selected to have lunch and meet UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson at the NAFSA annual meeting in Houston, Texas, this summer. UN Deputy Secretary General Eliasson – who has helped broker peace agreements in zones of conflict around the world – spoke about some of the keys to successful conflict resolution. As he put it, “if you don’t have passion, nothing happens. But without compassion, the wrong thing happens.” Dr. Stephenson asked his opinion about the U.S. drone strikes, and especially the killing of innocent civilians. She was prompted to ask this question by discussions at the NH Peace Conference, held at KSC during the Spring. The UN Deputy Secretary General’s response was that this was an issue of deep concern to the world community. Dr. Stephenson gave a paper at the NAFSA conference on a panel that looked at internationalization in the context of Latin America and Asia. Her paper focused on the growing movement of indigenous universities in Latin America.
