Kristin Umland facts for kids

Kristin Umland is an American mathematician and a teacher who helps other teachers. She worked as a professor at the University of New Mexico for almost 20 years. Later, she left the university to help start a group called Illustrative Mathematics (IM). This group works to make math learning better for students.

Kristin's Journey in Math Education

Early Studies and Teaching

Kristin Umland studied at the University of California at Santa Cruz. In 1996, she earned her highest degree, a Ph.D. in mathematics, from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her special research project was about a complex math topic called "The Mod-2 Cohomology of the Lyons Group."

After finishing her studies, Kristin started teaching at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 1996. She became a full professor there and taught many different math classes. These classes ranged from basic algebra to advanced topics like measure theory. She also taught courses about how to teach mathematics.

Improving Math for Kids

Kristin wanted to make math learning better for students from kindergarten to 12th grade. She used her experience from a program called the Vermont Mathematics Initiative to help children learn more effectively.

At UNM, Kristin led a program called La Meta. This program was a team effort between the university, a local college, and five public school districts in New Mexico. La Meta helped middle school math teachers improve their skills. Starting in 2007, math experts and teachers visited classrooms to support learning.

Kristin also worked on a project to see how "Math Teachers' Circles" helped teachers. These circles bring together mathematicians and K-12 math teachers. They work together to explore math and share ideas. Kristin and her team found that these circles were very helpful for teachers.

Leading Illustrative Mathematics

In 2016, Kristin left UNM to work full-time at Illustrative Mathematics (IM). She co-founded IM with William McCallum. IM is a non-profit group that creates math materials for K-12 teachers. Kristin first became the vice president for content development.

In July 2019, she became the chief product officer. Then, in June 2020, Kristin Umland was named the president of Illustrative Mathematics. She continues to lead efforts to provide great math content for schools.

Awards and Recognition

Impact on Math Teaching

In 2017, the American Mathematical Society (AMS) honored Kristin Umland. She received the AMS Award for Impact on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics. This award recognized her work in helping schools use the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSS-M).

Kristin and IM co-founder William McCallum, along with many other math experts and teachers, created a free online resource. This website helps teachers understand the core math standards. Since 2012, their website, illustrativemathematics.org, has had over four million visitors. People have viewed their math tasks more than fourteen million times.

Leadership in Math Education

In 2018, the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) gave Kristin Umland the Louise Hay Award. This award recognized her leadership and important contributions to improving math education on a large scale. The Louise Hay Awards celebrate people who make a big difference in mathematics education.