2021 Susan Gay Travel Scholarship Recipient
Paula Santana
University of Central Florida
Biography
Paula Santana is an international student and Fulbright scholar working towards her doctorate in Mathematics Education at the University of Central Florida. Before beginning her doctoral degree, Ms. Santana taught middle and high school mathematics in the private sector for seven years, as well as college-level mathematics for the past 8 years in the Dominican Republic, specializing in early college mathematics. Her teaching experience has driven her research focus on exploring the interaction of Complex Instruction and Culturally Responsive Teaching at the secondary and collegiate level.
Ms. Santana earned her bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Dominican Republic, where she worked as a mathematics instructor. She holds a master's degree in Mathematics, and for her master's thesis, she examined how the university's mathematics instructors used technology in their teaching practices, which continues to be another area of her research interests.