2019 Susan Gay Travel Scholarship Recipient
Katrina Stullken Rothrock
University of Kansas
Biography
Katrina Rothrock is a PhD candidate in mathematics education at the University of Kansas, expected to complete her degree in May 2019, studying under the guidance of advisor Dr. Susan Gay. She began her career as an architectural engineer, working as a consulting electrical engineer and project manager before returning to the university to obtain her secondary mathematics teaching certification and master’s degree. She had been motivated to consider teaching as a career after teaching several university engineering courses at her alma mater in the evenings after work. After teaching high school mathematics, she had the opportunity to teach mathematics at several local postsecondary institutions where she gained additional insights into adult learners. She then took a position in a university mathematics and science teacher preparation program, which has allowed her to work toward her PhD in curriculum and instruction with a focus on mathematics education. Her dissertation research focuses on mathematical mindset, mathematical identity, mathematical self-efficacy, and self-regulated learning strategy use of first-time college freshmen. However, she is also more broadly interested in studying those constructs with pre-service and in-service mathematics educators. She has had the opportunity to present on mathematical mindsets for teachers at several local and national venues. With her advisor, she has also researched and presented both regionally and nationally on mathematics educators’ use of digital and print textbooks and other instructional resources, as well as their use of various instructional strategies.