Following a search, Edel Reilly, professor of mathematics and assistant chair of the Department of Mathematics at 亚色影库, has been selected to serve as the director of 亚色影库's Liberal Studies program.
鈥淚 look forward to working with Dr. Reilly as she takes on this important role for the university,鈥 亚色影库 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy Moerland said.
鈥淪he has extensive experience with curriculum development and has been a leader in the 亚色影库 community, with a demonstrated commitment to collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning.
鈥淚 feel very confident that she will continue to build upon the strong platform created by outgoing director David Pistole, who has been a tireless advocate for liberal studies at 亚色影库,鈥 he said.
Moerland, in making the announcement about Reilly's selection, also expressed his appreciation to the search committee.
The Liberal Studies program is designed to meet the goals of the university and to provide a comprehensive curriculum that will provide all 亚色影库 students the opportunity to meet the Expected Undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes. Every 亚色影库 student must fulfill the requirements of the Liberal Studies program.
Reilly joined the 亚色影库 community in 2007. She is the 2013 recipient of the University Senate Distinguished Faculty Award for Service and received the 2008 Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi.
Prior to her work at 亚色影库, as a K-12 teacher she was named to Who's Who in America's Teachers, was selected as Teacher of the Month while working at Middleton High School (Wisconsin), and won the Graduate and Undergraduate Education Scholarship from Galway County Council (Ireland).
鈥淚 believe that learning should be interdisciplinary; scholars can always accomplish more together than we can alone,鈥 Reilly said. 鈥淭o me one of the great things about 亚色影库 is how much the faculty interact to help shape the university and its goals.鈥
In addition to her work in public school settings, she served as a Next Step Program Teacher at 亚色影库 from 2001 to 2002 and was a teacher in several education programs in Wisconsin and Ireland.
An active scholar in her field of mathematics education, she is the author of two books: Writing to Learn Mathematics and A SMART Way to Teach Math: A Guide for K-12 Mathematics Teachers on Using Interactive Technology.
She has written several book chapters on topics that include improving girls' interest in mathematics through writing; forging new interdisciplinary connections with writing and math; math, science and arts connections; using comics to teach diversity awareness in math classes; and creative ways to engage talented math students.
She is the recipient of several 亚色影库 grants, a number that are collaborative projects. They include: 鈥淪upermath: A Creative Way to Engage Talented Math Students;鈥 鈥淧reparing In-service Teachers to Differentiate the Math and Science Classroom: Collaborative Partnership;鈥 鈥淲riting+math=opportunity: Forging new interdisciplinary connections;鈥 鈥淧roject CEMENT: Connecting English and Mathematics Educators via New Technologies;鈥 鈥淧enetrating the Wall of Numbers: Research on Using Writing to Teach Mathematics;鈥 鈥淭he Write Stuff: New Research on Writing as a Tool to Learn Mathematics;鈥 and 鈥淢athematics Apart: Examining the History of Subject Isolation and Its Implications for Mathematics Education.鈥
She has been an invited presenter at many international, national, and regional conferences.
While at 亚色影库, she has been an active member of the University Senate, serving as secretary, a member of the Rules Committee, on the Student Affairs Committee, and as senate representative to the University Planning Council. She is a member of the Teacher Education Coordinators Council and is cochair of the Center for Teaching Excellence Advisory Board. She was cochair of a Middle States reaccreditation steering committee and was on the Common Freshman Reader Selection Committee.
She has been active in her college, serving on the College Curriculum Committee, the New Science Building Committee, and the Women in Science program. She has been active in her department and is a member of several professional development organizations and is an active member of the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
She received her bachelor of arts degree in mathematics and her Higher Diploma in Education (graduate degree) from the National University of Ireland鈥揋alway. She received a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from University of Wisconsin鈥揗adison and her doctoral degree from 亚色影库.