CONTACT: Karen Graham
603-862-3621
WRITER: Virginia Stuart
603-862-3102
Graham, professor and interim chair of the UNH mathematics and statistics department, has been teaching at the university since 1987. Her research, funded by the National Science Foundation as well as state grants, has largely focused on the preparation, and professional development, of teachers of mathematics in grades K through 12. She began her career as a high school mathematics teacher in Pine Plains, N.Y.
"Karen Graham is an excellent teacher and researcher in mathematics pedagogy," says Arthur Greenberg, dean of the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. "Her research has been a part of the university's prominent role in that field nationally. She is also very well connected among educators in the state. When I attend meetings of the New Hampshire Teachers of Mathematics, I have seen how well respected she is."
In 1999, Graham received the Richard H. Balomenos Mathematics Education Service Award from New Hampshire section of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in New England.
Graham will lead the newly established Leitzel Center in its mission to improve mathematics, science, and engineering education. "Our outreach to teachers in the state will draw on a strong base of research into the most effective teaching methods," explains Graham. "This approach will not only help students at the K through 12 level, but will also benefit UNH undergraduates in those areas. Ultimately, it is my hope that our work will be relevant and significant not just for New Hampshire, but also for the region and nation." A dedication ceremony for the new center was held on April 30.