Dr. Helen Khoury (Project Co-Director)
Helen is an associate professor
of mathematics education at Northern Illinois University Department of
Mathematical Sciences. Her research interests include students'
thinking about ratios, rates, functions, and proportions. She has
directed and participated in a number of inservice teacher enhancement
projects at the elementary and middle school levels.
Dr. Diana Steele (Project Co-Director)
Diana is an assistant professor
of mathematics education at Northern Illinois University Department of
Mathematical Sciences. She was both an elementary school and high
school teacher for 13 years before joining the faculty at NIU. Her
research interests center on teacher and student discourse in the
mathematics classroom and how children learn mathematics.
Mrs. Esther Billings
Esther is finishing her Ph.D. in mathematics
education at Northern Illinois University. Her dissertation deals with
qualitative-based reasoning that elementary preservice teachers use
when solving numeric and non-numeric proportion problems. She will
join the faculty at Grand Valley State University Department of
Mathematics and Statistics in the Fall 1998 semester.
Mrs. Ellen Hines
Ellen is an instructor of mathematics education at
Northern Illinois University Department of Mathematical Sciences. She
is currently finishing her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction,
secondary education at NIU and is
investigating middle school students' understanding of functions
through the use of physical models.
Mr. Jason Thrun
Jason is finishing his Ph.D. in mathematics education at Northern
Illinois University. His dissertation deals with college students' use
of ratio- based and rate-based strategies as they solve various
proportion problems. He is an experienced teacher of mathematics at the
early college level.
Mr. Steve Vurno
Steve is a mathematics education graduate student at Northern Illinois
University. He will spend the next two years in Hawaii teaching
mathematics at the secondary school level.