2026 Susan Gay Travel Scholarship Recipient
Katherine Mack
Biography
Katherine Mack is a doctoral student in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Elementary Education at the Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut. Drawing on her background in English (B.A.) and Elementary Education (M.S.), she examines how elementary teachers can facilitate mathematical discourse by repositioning the instructional board as a space that centers student reasoning and makes it visible. She is particularly interested in how pre-service teachers plan for, enact, and reflect on this practice as part of their preparation for ambitious mathematics instruction.
At UConn, Katherine teaches in the IB/M teacher preparation program and collaborates on grant-funded research initiatives focused on discourse, reasoning, and teacher learning. She has presented her work at regional and national conferences, including ATOMIC, the NCTE–NCTM Joint Conference, and NC-FEW, and has contributed to publications on classroom discourse. Prior to her doctoral studies, Katherine taught in elementary classrooms for over ten years, experiences that continue to shape her research questions and commitments. Through her teaching and research, she is committed to preparing future mathematics teachers and contributing to the growth of mathematics teacher education.