A Conversation With Uri Treisman

Abstract

Dr. Uri Treisman, professor of mathematics and public affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and the director of the Charles A. Dana Center, has deep and active roots in mathematics and mathematics education. Dr. Treisman is well known for his early work at the University of California at Berkeley, where he developed the Calculus Workshop Model in response to differential outcomes in Calculus among African American, white, and Asian students. His continuing work in mathematics education, particularly his impact on equity in the field and his current work focusing on mathematics teaching and learning in community colleges was reflected in his remarks on September 29, 2012, during the annual Program in Mathematics Colloquium Series. Dr. Treisman had initially planned to give a talk on the technical aspects of scaling educational innovations, but seeing that the audience was composed largely of young teachers and teachers-to-be, he instead gave an impromptu talk on teaching mathematics. This is an edited version of those remarks. —Ed.