Get ready for our Summer Institute: Motivation Matters, featuring keynote speeches from Matthew Larson and Peg Smith. Download the flyer for more event details.
Meet our Keynote Speakers
Matt Larson is president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Previously, Larson was the K–12 curriculum specialist for mathematics in Lincoln (Nebraska) Public Schools for more than 20 years. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dr. Larson began his career in education as a high school mathematics teacher. He has authored or co-authored several books, including a series on professional learning communities and Common Core Mathematics. He is co-author of Balancing the Equation: A Guide to School Mathematics for Educators and Parents, and he was on the writing team of Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (2014). He is the co-author of a widely used K-12 mathematics series. Larson has taught mathematics at the elementary through college level and has held an appointment as an honorary visiting associate professor at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Margaret (Peg) Smith is a Professor Emeritus at University of Pittsburgh. Over the past two decades she has been developing research-based materials for use in the professional development of mathematics teachers. She was a member of the writing team for Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All and she is a co-author of two new books (Taking Action: Implementation Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices Grades 6–8 & 9–12) that provide further explication of the teaching practices first described in Principles to Actions.
She has authored or coauthored over 90 books, edited books or monographs, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles including the book Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Discussions (co-authored with Mary Kay Stein). She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (2001–2003; 2003–2005), of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2006–2009), and of Teachers Development Group (2009–2017). She was the founding editor of the journal Mathematics Teacher Educator, which is co-published by NCTM and AMTE.
In 2006 she was selected to receive the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award given annually to honor outstanding faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2009 she received the award for Excellence in Teaching in Mathematics Teacher Education from the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. In 2010 she received the Susan Loucks-Horsley award from the National Staff Development Council in recognition of her efforts to promote professional learning in mathematics.