Dedman College News
Originally Posted: May 22, 2018
Congratulations to SMU Professors Annie Wilhelm and Scott Norris who recently received a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship capacity-building grant through the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Wilhelm and Dr. Norris’s project focuses on recruiting and preparing local Dallas area mathematics teachers for placement in high-need schools within the Dallas Independent School District.
“This is an exciting opportunity for SMU to serve and strengthen its connection with the surrounding Dallas community, by helping to fill the need for secondary mathematics teachers in the Dallas area,” says Wilhelm and Norris. Wilhelm is an Assistant Professor in Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Department of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Norris is an Associate Professor in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Mathematics.
According to the abstract on the NSF website the project will create a circular pipeline through which prospective teachers are recruited from Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), participate in a community-focused trainingprogram, attend SMU for degrees in mathematics and education, and then return to teach in high-need schools in Dallas. Once the pipeline is established, an influx of locally-rooted teachers could fill a need 
for committed and effective mathematics teachers, especially teachers of color, in Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD).
“This project requires significant collaboration between the departments of Mathematics and Teaching and Learning at SMU,” says Norris. “In addition, we look forward to building relationships with DCCCD, Dallas ISD, and SMU’s Budd Center. Each unit is essential to ensure successful recruitment, placements, and ongoing support for student scholars.”
For more information and to view the full NSF abstract, please click here.
Contact for more information:
Annie Wilhelm, 8-2347
Scott Norris, 8-4802