Dr. Robert Berry III
Samuel Braley Gray Professor of Mathematics Education | Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia |Immediate Past President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
Robert Q. Berry, III is a Professor in the Curry School of Education with an appointment in Curriculum Instruction and Special Education. A former mathematics teacher, he teaches elementary and special education mathematics methods courses in the teacher education program at the University of Virginia. Additionally, he teaches graduate-level mathematics education course and courses for in-service teachers seeking a mathematics specialist endorsement. His research focuses on equity issues in mathematics education, pre-and in-service teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching, and mathematics instructional quality. Berry has extensive experience in classroom observation and has collaborated with other researchers to develop an observation instrument, Mathematics Scan, to examine mathematics teaching quality.
Dr. Talitha Washington
Director of the Data Science Initiative |Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC)
Dr. Washington is the inaugural Director of the Atlanta University Center Data Science Initiative. This new initiative seeks to provide data-driven solutions to current and emerging societal problems, especially as it pertains to the African American community. Poised to bring new diverse perspectives to data science, Dr. Washington is a Professor of Mathematics at Clark Atlanta University, and is an affiliate faculty at Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College.
Dr. Washington is a former Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Convergence Accelerator. Previously, as a Program Director in the Division of Undergraduate Education, she was instrumental in building and establishing NSF’s first Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program which funded $40,000,000 in awards in FY19. Her research interests include the applications of differential equations to problems in biology and engineering, as well as the development of nonstandard finite difference schemes to numerically solve dynamical systems.
Dr. Cathery Yeh
Assistant Professor | Attallah College of Educational Studies
Dr. Cathery Yeh joined the Attallah College of Educational Studies in 2016 and teaches classes in the Teacher Education program. She earned her doctorate in education with a focus on learning, cognition, and development and an emphasis in Chicano/Latino Studies from the University of California, Irvine. Prior to joining Chapman, Dr. Yeh served as the Foundational Level Mathematics Program Coordinator in the College of Education at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Yeh has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as courses on child development, mathematics content and methods, research methods, culturally responsive pedagogies, and multicultural education.
Dr. Yeh’s scholarship is driven by her commitment to the improvement of educational opportunities for students, with a focus on students whose voices and identities have historically been marginalized by traditional schooling practices. Dr. Yeh’s research looks specifically at issues of participation, power, access, and developing transformative spaces for learning in K-12 and college classrooms, with an emphasis on the role of teaching, teacher education, and leadership. Her current work examines approaches and practices in teacher education that foreground the importance of praxis and reflexivity in learning and teaching. Dr. Yeh is a member of the Paulo Freire Democratic Project and currently serves on the editorial board for the international journal Teaching Children’s Mathematics.
Dr. Zelphine Smith-Dixon
State Director, Special Education Services and Supports | Georgia Department of Education
Dr. Zelphine Smith-Dixon has a longstanding history in improving achievement for schools in SC and GA. She received the following accolades: Tri-County Special Educator of the Year, Vance-Providence Elementary Teacher of the Year and Orangeburg Consolidated School District Three Alternate District Teacher of the Year. In April 2018, Columbia College presented her with the Wil Lou Gray Outstanding Educator Award. Later, she served as the Columbia College Commencement Speaker in May 2019.
Dr. Smith-Dixon relocated to join the Georgia Department of Education and is the State Director for Special Education. She serves as a board member of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. Dr. Smith-Dixon has committed her life to public service, ministry, and transformation for economically disadvantaged communities and homes. Dr. Smith-Dixon was recently named president-elect of NASDSE.
Jenise Sexton
Mathematics Content Integration Specialist | Georgia Department of Education
Panel Moderator
Jenise Sexton serves as the Mathematics and Special Education Content Integration Specialist at the Georgia Department of Education. She is passionate about ensuring that each and every learner’s needs are met and believes that when students’ needs are met, they will succeed. She also believes in taking a social-emotional approach to teaching so that each student feels valued. Her experience includes serving as an elementary and middle school classroom teacher, mathematics coach and district mathematics specialist in Henry and Gwinnett counties. Throughout her educational career, she has remained committed to meeting the needs of every student.