Keynote Session

Keynote Session 

Headshot of Dave Kung

Biography

Dave Kung 
Executive Director of Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE-Math)

Dr. Dave Kung has worked in the intersection of mathematics and equity at numerous levels over the last three decades. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE-Math). Prior to that, he served as the Director of Policy at the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin. In this role, Kung led the Launch Years Initiative, working with state teams to modernize math options for students across the high school / higher ed transition – and ensure equitable access and success.

Kung directed MAA Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching), the math community’s premiere professional development program for early-career professors, from 2014 to 2023. He also works closely with K-12 and higher ed organizations, especially concentrating on equity issues in mathematics. Two Great Courses lecture series, on math/music and mind-bending paradoxes, have engaged audiences around the world. He has authored a variety of articles and books on topics in harmonic analysis and mathematics education. Kung was awarded the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award, the MAA’s highest award in college math teaching, for his work at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a public honors college outside Washington, D.C.  He resides there, coaching local high school teachers, as well as playing violin and running–never simultaneously, but sometimes alongside his partner and daughter. 

Session Abstract

Changing Our Minds about Introductory Student Success

The higher education community has a problem. Far too many students (especially those from underserved populations) are not succeeding in our introductory courses – especially in STEM. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how academia’s views of students, of how they learn, and of what’s best for them contribute to this problem. Through discussions of several surprising studies, you might even change your mind, coming away with specific things you can do to better support your students.