Betsy Kersey

PhD, Purdue University, 2018
Area of Study: Mathematics Education

Masters, Purdue University, 2013
Area of Study: Mathematics

BS, University of Puget Sound, 2010
Area of Study: Mathematics

Gender and Sexuality in Mathematics Education

I am working on research on how to include gender in math education research in a way that is inclusive of trans and nonbinary people. This also extends to the ways we talk about sexual orientation in research.

Identifying Barriers to Participation in Introductory Astronomy Lab

Astronomy labs are unique compared to other science labs in that they tend to take place at night, in dark, often remote locations on or near college campuses. The nature of these locations may create barriers that limit or alter the nature of student participation in labs. Specifically, these locations may present accessibility issues to students with certain physical disabilities or cause concerns about student safety either at lab or on the way to lab.

Improving Classroom Culture to Support Intrinsic Motivation as a Pathway to STEM Inclusive Excellence

In 2017 the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) awarded the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) one of 24 grants to improve the inclusivity of their undergraduate science, technology, and mathematics programs (HHMI, 2018). HHMI encourages the development of strategies to better support an increasingly diverse population and disseminates policies that the science, technology, mathematics, engineering (STEM) community can implement to better provide opportunities for success. UNC is using this five-year grant to develop and administer its Inclusive Excellence program (IE). One aspect of the IE project supports small cohorts of faculty (Inclusive Excellence Teacher-Scholars) in professional development to build their capacity to support an increasingly diverse student body. The Inclusive Excellence project aims to assist faculty in gaining awareness of their own implicit biases, beliefs, and values so that they may adjust classroom practices and monitor their communication with and responses to students. Faculty are also given strategies to meaningfully address explicit bias and microaggressions that they witness in the classroom or among fellow faculty. The project assessment team are gathering and analyzing survey, interview, faculty syllabi, faculty assignments, and student academic success data to understand 1) how IE teacher-scholars engage in equity-minded instructional practices, and 2) how IE teacher-scholars will increase awareness, knowledge, and disposition toward engaging in equity-minded practices.