Katie MacLean

Hi, I’m Katie and I’m from Glastonbury, Connecticut! I am in the Department of Special Education with a concentration in Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders. Prior to coming to UT, I taught 8th and 9th-grade mathematics for 2 years. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Mathematics Education and a Master’s Degree in Teacher Leadership.

My research interests include professional development for teachers and secondary mathematics with a particular focus in algebra. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my dog Sadie, going paddle boarding, thrifting, and playing golf!

Allison McClure

Hi, I’m Allison McClure! I am from Montgomery, Texas. I am an Education PhD student at SMU and a member of the Research in Mathematics Education unit. Prior to coming to SMU, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a minor in Secondary Education from Texas A&M University. During my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to participate in research in STEM education, mathematical biology, and computational mathematics for data science.

My research interests include mathematics intervention and assessment to improve the learning outcomes of K-12 students experiencing mathematics difficulty. I am specifically interested in supporting elementary students’ fraction learning and teachers’ implementation of data-based individualization for middle and high school mathematics.

In my free time, I love spending time with my husband and family, reading, watching as much tv and movies as I can, and playing with my French bulldog.

Gabriella Donofrio

Hi! I’m Gabriella and I’m from Bemus Point, New York. I am a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri. I came to Mizzou in June 2023 after completing my M.Ed. in Special Education with an emphasis in Intensive Interventions at Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Before pursuing my master’s, I taught middle school math to students receiving special education in DC for six years.

My research interests include curricula, progress monitoring, diagnostics, and interventions in middle school math. In my free time, I love thrifting for clothes, reading, and hanging out with my cats—Peanut and Cashew.

Jason Tibbits

Hi, I’m Jason and I’m from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. I’m a first-year Ph.D. student studying Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. With 20 years of experience teaching middle school math, I’ve dedicated a third of that time to working specifically with dyslexic students.

My research interests include mathematics interventions for middle and high school students facing mathematics difficulties. I’m also passionate about instructional coaching and the successful implementation of evidence-based practices in the classroom.

Outside of school, I love spending time with my family, being active outdoors, and watching a good show on Netflix.

Alison Hardy

Hello! I’m Ali.

Hi, my name is Ali! I am a doctoral candidate in The Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin (hook ’em!). I am a Texas native and alumna of the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University. Before joining LIME, I taught second grade for five years.

My focus is supporting elementary students with or at risk for mathematics difficulty, and I am particularly fond of K-2 instruction and intervention. My research interests include schema instruction, problem posing, and translating research into practice.

I love to travel, but I also love spending time at home with my border collie and many houseplants. Outside of work, you can often find me at the movie theater, in a group exercise class, or at a local coffee shop.

Joanne Joo

Hi, I’m Joanne, and I live in Dallas, Texas! I am a PhD student in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership at Southern Methodist University. Before starting my PhD, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Business, as well as a Master’s Degree in Statistics, both in New York. I worked as an HR manager at an engineering company in Korea before returning to the U.S. to pursue my passion for education research.

My research focuses on math interventions and math assessment development, with a particular interest in supporting teachers who work with students with math difficulties through evidence-based practices.

In my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and love traveling and cooking, always looking for new experiences and flavors to explore. I also love teaching my second-grade students at Sunday school.

Jessica Mao

Hi! My name is Jess Mao, I am a PhD student in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to the program, I was a special education teacher in San Jose, California. For five years, I taught middle school students with LD, EBD, ADHD, ASD, SLI, and OHI in both public and alternative school settings. My research interests include middle mathematics intervention and teacher training and development in mathematics.

This year, I am a coach for both the SPIRAL and STAIR 2.0 projects. I am also leading a side project investigating math teachers’ knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practices in the classrooms. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, taking care of my plants, and music.

Megyn Martin

Hi, I’m Megyn and I’m from Columbia, Missouri! I am in the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to entering a doctoral program, I taught elementary special education for students with significant academic and behavioral support needs. I have a bachelor’s degree in special education, and a master’s degree in autism spectrum disorders.

I am interested in researching math and behavioral interventions for students with significant support needs. I am also interested in teacher implementation of research and evidence-based interventions. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have a husband and three children, and we love to watch movies and play board games!

Lois Ndungu

Hi, my name is Lois! I started my journey in education at Texas State University investigating effective writing instructional practices for students with disabilities. Then, I taught high school math in Fort Worth, Texas before transitioning to SMU’s Ph.D. program.

I have a strong research interest in students’ math identity and the intersection of race and culture within mathematics. My passion for equitable math instruction guides my current interest to study secondary math interventions for students of color.

Outside of school and work, I love exploring different restaurants and cuisines or digging into a good book.

Emily Singell

Hello, my name is Emily. I began my journey in education at the University of Missouri, studying and researching behavior management within the classroom. I received my Master of Education in School Psychology here at Mizzou. I realized through my M.Ed. experience that I was more interested in mathematics education and research, which led me to Special Education and specifically LIME!

My research focus is on teachers’ use of data-based decision-making and how we, as researchers, can effectively help teachers implement this framework in their classrooms and curriculum. Part of this work includes the appropriate and effective dissemination techniques to make the research-to-practice gap smaller.

Outside school work, I enjoy road cycling, trying new restaurants with my husband, or playing video games.

Mackenna Vander Tuin

Kathleen Roberts

Hi! I’m Kathleen Roberts. I am a recent graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA where I studied cognitive/behavioral science and Spanish. I also worked in an undergraduate research lab studying child and gender development.

I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and I am excited to be back. I am a first year PhD student at Southern Methodist University in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development and a graduate research assistant in the Research in Mathematics Education department. My research interests include academic assessment development, usage, and analysis for elementary students and educators.

In my free time, I teach yoga sculpt. I also enjoy needlepointing and reading.