Manderscheid Appointed to National Academies Committee
Professor of Mathematics David Manderscheid has been chosen to be a part of an ad-hoc committee on modernizing mathematical sciences education for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
David Manderscheid, professor of mathematics and previous Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) ad-hoc committee. NASEM is the collective scientific national academy of the United States created to provide independent advice and research to the government on science and technology issues. The Committee on Modernizing Mathematics Education in Grades 9–14 has been created to conduct a consensus study on mathematical sciences education.
“Math education is at a critical juncture. We must prepare students for a world that runs on data and AI,” said Manderscheid. “How do we change curriculum to do that? What do we add, and perhaps most importantly, what do we jettison?”
According to the NASEM website, the committee’s report will “address how US mathematics
education for Grades 9–14 could be modernized to reflect the evolving role of the mathematical sciences and to provide all students with the mathematical tools to pursue their future goals.”
As the roles of mathematical science and research in today’s world grow, the institution believes that a student’s mathematical education in the grades 9–14 range can either advance or hinder a student’s experiences in their daily life, education, or career. The committee’s role is to find out what knowledge and practices would help all students be prepared to achieve future goals and if modernized mathematics education could overlap with a variety of pathways; what type of teaching approaches and experiences have shown to be effective; and what roles technology can have to empower learning.
At the end of the study, the committee will provide recommendations to K–12 and post-secondary education decision-makers on how they can use their curriculum, pedagogy, and standards to help advance students’ education in mathematics.
“NASEM is the premier science organization in the country and thus it is an honor for me and UT to be selected to this committee that will have a substantial national impact,” said Manderscheid. “I am very interested in how we coordinate curriculum between high school and college so all students can thrive.”
by Sloan Docekal