Gladis Kersaint

Professor, Mathematics Education

Titles:

Professor of Mathematics Education, 2016-Present

Dean Emerita, Neag School of Education, 2016-2021

Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives, 2021-2022

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, 2022-2025

Academic Degrees:

Ph.D., Mathematics Education, Illinois State University
MS, Education (Mathematics), University of Miami
BS, Mathematics, University of Miami

Biography:

Dr. Gladis Kersaint is a professor of mathematics education at the Neag School of Education at University of Connecticut. Over the course of her career, she has held academic and administrative positions, driven innovation in teaching and research, and advanced equity and excellence in education.

Most recently, she served as the vice provost of academic affairs from 2022-2025, following her earlier role as vice provost for strategic initiatives from 2021-2022. In these roles, she was instrumental in shaping the university’s academic direction, providing leadership in academic planning, faculty and leader development, curriculum management, and spearheading initiatives to promote student success. She oversaw the development and revision of institutional policies, guided academic program management and review, and championed faculty and leader development. Her efforts led to organizational realignment enhanced academic operations and strengthened the support infrastructure for students. Dr. Kersaint also represented the university in key state and regional forums, contributed actively to legislative engagement, and fostered inclusive practices and transparency across academic units, resulting in measurable improvements in academic excellence and organizational effectiveness.

Prior to her vice provost appointments, Dr. Kersaint was the dean of UConn’s Neag School of Education from 2016 to 2021. During her deanship, she provided strategic and operational leadership that advanced the school’s mission in research, teaching, and community engagement. She managed academic, administrative, and financial operations. She also strengthened the school’s national reputation by increasing and keeping its ranking among the top 20 public graduate schools of education for five consecutive years. She established equity-focused initiatives, expanded faculty development and mentoring programs, secured significant philanthropic support, and advanced public engagement efforts, most notably with the Alliance School Districts, comprising Connecticut’s 33 highest-need and most diverse school districts.

Before joining UConn, Dr. Kersaint served in multiple leadership roles at the University of South Florida’s College of Education, including associate dean for academic affairs and research from 2011 onward and director of the David C. Anchin Center for the Advancement of Teaching, where she held the David C. Anchin Endowed Chair in Education Innovation. The Anchin Center facilitated partnerships and innovation to advance effective teaching practices. From 2006-2010, she also served as coordinator of USF Undergraduate Education and chair of the General Education Council, roles with university-wide impact.

As a respected scholar, Dr. Kersaint has co-authored four books and numerous refereed journal articles on mathematics teacher education, effective mathematics teaching, supporting at-risk learners, and integrating technology in mathematics education. She has been principal or co-principal investigator on over $30 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Florida Department of Education He leadership in collaborative STEM education projects has brought together school district STEM personnel as STEM university faculty across various disciplines.

Nationally, Dr. Kersaint has served on the boards of leading organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE), and American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Earlier in her career, she taught high school mathematics in Miami Dade County Public Schools, the fourth-largest public school district in the United States.

Funded Research:

Developing Mathematics Teacher Leaders for Connecticut Alliance School Districts. Co-Principal Investigator (PI: Megan Staples, Mathematics Education, Co-PIs: Fabiana Cardetti, Mathematics & Jennifer Michalek, Connecticut State Department of Education). Develop 20 effective mathematics teachers from Alliance School Districts into mathematics teacher leaders. Funded by NSF DUE – 2050659 for $1,499,875. (7/1/21-6/30/26).

An Examination of How the Lived Experience of African American Undergraduates Affect their Persistence in their Engineering Program. Principal Investigator (Co-PIs: Ellen Puccia, Beta Research & Chrystal Smith (Initial PI), UConn-Anthropology). Conducted a multi-institutional qualitative study to investigate how the experiences of African American students during their first two years of undergraduate engineering programs at three predominantly white institutions (PWIs) influenced their persistence and degree attainment. Funded by NSF (EHR Core – 2000769) for $499,987. (9/1/2020–8/31/2023, extension through 5/2/2024).

The Effects of Social Capital and Cultural Models on the Retention and Degree Attainment of Women and Minority Engineering Undergraduates. Principal Investigator (USF Co-PIs: Hesborn Wao, Morsani College of Medicine; Reginald Lee & George MacDonald, Center for Research Evaluation, Assessment, and Measurement; Chrystal A. Smith, Anthropology; John Skorvetz, Sociology). Investigated the influence of social capital and cultural models of engineering success on retention and degree attainment of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering. Explored how the interactions between social networks and cultural perceptions of success shapes educational outcomes. Funded by NSF HRD – 1432297 for $1,140,983. (8/1/14–7/31/18, extension through 7/31/2020).

Tampa Bay Robert Noyce Master Teacher Fellows (MTF) Program. Principal Investigator (co-PIs: Robert Potter, Chemistry; Diane Yendol-Hoppey, Teacher Education & Leadership; Larry Plank, Director of STEM, Hillsborough County Public Schools). Prepared 20 accomplished mathematics and science teachers to serve as instructional leaders within their schools and their school district. Funded by NSF DUE- 1239946 for $1,210,115. (8/1/12–7/31/17).

Effects of STEM/ICT Aspirants’ High School Experiences on STEM and ICT Course Taking. Principal Investigator (co-PI: Jeff Kromrey, Educational Measurement and Evaluation). Investigated the high school STEM and ICT course-taking patterns of students who indicated an interest in STEM or ICT careers during their eight-grade planning. Examined how early career interests influence academic pathways and sustained engagement in STEM fields. Funded by NSF DRL – 1139510 for $899,987. (8/1/12–7/31/15).

USF Robert Noyce STEM Scholars. Principal Investigator (co-PIs: Allan Feldman, Science Education; Jeff Ryan, Geology; Mile Kracjevski, Mathematics). Expanded the pipeline of highly qualified STEM teachers for secondary schools by supporting 31 STEM professionals to become secondary school teachers. Funded by NSF DUE – 1035273 for $1,200,000. (8/1/10–7/31/15; 1-year extension through 7/31/16).

Partnership to Rejuvenate and Optimize Mathematics and Science Education (Florida PROMiSE), Principal Investigator (Co-PIs: Laura Lang, FSU-Education Leadership; Tom Dana, UF-Science Education). Led statewide STEM education reform initiative involving four universities (FIU, FSU, USF, UF), four large school districts (Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, & Seminole) and 36 small and rural school districts represented by regional consortia (Heartland, Northeast Florida, & Panhandle Area). STEM faculty and educators co-developed professional development materials aligned with Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards and distributed professional development materials to all 67 school districts, which was used by 30,000+ teachers. Delivered eight intensive, two-week mathematics and science summer institutes (4-math, 4 science), engaging ~2,000 educators across 26 sessions (2009-2010). Investigated effective models of collaboration among STEM faculty, education faculty, and STEM teachers to support sustained professional learning and instructional change. Funded by the Florida Department of Education, Project #: 291-2358A-8CM01 for $21,972,135 (11/2007–12/2010).

Assessing the Impact of National Science Foundation’s Urban Systemic Initiative, Co-Principal Investigator, (PI: Kathy Borman, Anthropology). Conducted a three-year, mixed-methods evaluation of NSF’s Urban Systemic Initiative across multiple urban school districts in four cities (Chicago, El Paso, Memphis, & Miami) analyzing the effectiveness of the six-driver STEM reform model (policy, curriculum, professional development, stakeholder engagement, resource alignment, and student outcomes) in mathematics and science education reform in high-poverty urban settings. Funded by NSF Award – 9874246 for $1,240,732. (1/1/99–6/30/02).

Selected Publications/Presentations:

Wao, H., Kersaint, G., Smith, C. A., Campbell-Montalvo**, R., Puccia, E., Skvoretz, J., Martin, J. P., Lee, R., & MacDonald, G. (2023). Examining how social networks influence women and under-represented minority students’ pursuit of engineering in university: When, who, and how? International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 1-15.

Campbell-Montalvo**, R., Kersaint, G., Smith, A.S., Puccia, E., Sidorova*, O., Cooke,* H., Wao, H., Martin, J. P., Skvoretz, J., MacDonald, G., Lee, R. (2022). The influence of professional engineering organizations on women and underrepresented minority students’ fit. Frontiers in Education (STEM Education section), 6, 1-16.

Campbell-Montalvo**, R., Kersaint, G., Smith, C.S., Puccia, E., Skvoretz, J., Wao, H., Martin, J., MacDonald, G., & Lee, R. (2022). How stereotypes and relationships influence women and underrepresented minority students’ fit in engineering. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 59(6), 656-692

Smith, C., Wao, H., Kersaint, G., Campbell-Montalvo**, R. Gray-Ray, P., Puccia, E., Martin, J. P., Lee, R., Skvoretz, J., & McDonald, G. (2021). Social Capital from Professional Engineering Organizations and Persistence of Women and Underrepresented Minority Undergraduates. Frontiers in Sociology (Special Issue: Professional and Scientific Societies Impacting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM), 6, 1-13.

Puccia, E., Martin, J. P., Smith, C. S., Kersaint, G., Campbell-Montalvo**, R., Wao, H., Lee, R., Skvoretz, J. & MacDonald, G. (2021). The Influence of expressive and instrumental social capital from parents on women and underrepresented minority students’ declaration and persistence in engineering majors. International Journal of STEM Education, 20(8), 1-15

Skvoretz, J., Kersaint, G., Campbell-Montalvo**, R., Ware, J., R., Smith, C. S., Puccia, E., Martin, J., Lee, R., MacDonald, G., Wao, H. (2020). Pursuing an engineering major: Social capital of women and underrepresented minorities, Studies in Higher Education, 45(3), 592-607.

Sears, R., Kersaint, G., Wooten, R., & Burgos, F. (2019). Collaborative effort to develop middle school preservice teachers’ mathematical knowledge. PRIMUS (Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies), 29(2), 965-981.

Ashford*, S., Lanehart*, R. S., Kersaint, G., Lee*, R. L., & Kromrey, J. D. (2016). STEM Pathways: Examining persistence in rigorous mathematics and science course taking. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(6), 961-975.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Kersaint, G., Smith, J. J., & Kaskeski, R. (2016). Transforming teacher preparation for the transition years: A partnership-based STEM residency program. In P. B. Howell, J. Carpenter, & J. Jones (Eds.), Clinical Preparation at the Middle Level: Practices and Possibilities (2^nd Volume of the Handbook of Resources in Middle Level Education). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Thompson, D. R., Kersaint, G., Vorster, H., Webb, L., Van der Walt, M., S. (2016). Addressing Multilanguage diversity in mathematics teacher education programs. In R. Barwell, P. Clarkson, A. Halai, M. Kazima, Moschkovich, N. Planas, M. Setati-Phakeng, P. Valero, & M. V. Ubilus (Eds.), Mathematics Education and Language Diversity: The 21^st ICMI Study (pp. 121-139). Switzerland: Springer International Publishing

Lee, H. S., Kersaint, G., Driskell, S., Harper, S. Jones, D., Leatham, K., Angotti, R., & Adu-Gamfi, K. (2014). Teachers’ use of transnumeration in solving statistical task with dynamic statistical software. Statistics Education Research Journal, 13(1), 25-52.

Kersaint, G., Thompson, D. R., Petkova, M. (2013). Teaching Mathematics to English Language Learners (2^ndedition). New York: Rutledge.

Kersaint, G., Ritzhaupt, A., & Liu, Feng (2013). Technology to enhance mathematics and science instruction: Changes in teacher perceptions after participating in a yearlong professional development program. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 33(1), 537-566.

Kersaint, G., & Berger, S. (2012). Negotiating a new culture: A large-scale collaboration among mathematicians, mathematics teacher educators, and teachers. In Jenny B. Williams (Ed.), Professional collaboration in mathematics teaching and learning: Seeking success for all. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Kersaint, G., Dogbey, J., Barber, J. & Kephart, D. (2011). The effect of access to an online tutorial service on College Algebra student outcomes, Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 19(1), 25–44.

Thompson, D. T., Kersaint, G., Richards, J. C., Hunsader, P. D., Rubenstein, R. R. (2008). Mathematical Literacy: Helping Students make meaning in the middle grades. Hienemann, Portsmouth, NH.

Kersaint, G., Lewis, J., Potter, R., & Meisels, G. (2007). Why teachers leave: Factors that influence retention or resignation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(6), 775-794.

Kersaint, G. (2007). The learning environment: Its influence on what is learned. In W. Gary Martin & Marilyn E. Strutchens (Eds.), The Learning of mathematics, (The 69^th Yearbook of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) (pp. 83-96) Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Borman, K, Kersaint, G., et al. (2005) Meaningful urban education reform: Confronting the learning crisis in mathematics and science. State University of New York Press.

Associations/Committees/Outreach:

Member, Board of Directors, ReadyCT, 9/2023–Present

Member, Board of Trustees, Connecticut Science Center, 2017 – Present

Member, Board of Delegates (Legislatively Appointed), New England Board of Higher Education, 4/2023–12/2025

Member-at-large, Council of Academic Deans from Research Institutions, 2/2018–2/2021

Member (President’s Designee), Governor’s Workforce Council, 2021–2025

Member (Legislatively Appointed), State Board of Education – CT Advisory Council for Administrator Professional Standards, 2017-2021

Member, Minority Teacher Recruitment Oversight Council, Connecticut State Department of Education, 2016–2021.

Member, Advisory Group on Required for the Education of Students in the Care of State Child Welfare Agencies, 2017–2018.

Member, Educator Preparation Advisory Council, Fall 2016.

University Service

Steering Committee Member, Strategic Enrollment Management Committee, 2024–2025.
Ex Officio Member, University Senate: Faculty Standards Committee, 2023–2025.
Steering Committee Member, Strategic Planning Committee, 2022-2024
Co-chair, Retention and Graduation Committee, 2023–2024.
Co-chair, Academic Scheduling Committee, 2023–2024.
Ex-Officio Member, University Senate: Academic Scheduling Committee, 2023–2024.
Member, UConn/AAUP Collective Bargaining Negotiation Team, F2020–Spr2022, F2024-Spr2025.
Member, Personnel Grievance Committee, Spring 2020.
Chair, Academic Integrity Taskforce, 2021– 2023.
Chair, Campus Director Review Committee, Spring 2022.
Member, HR Rehired Retiree Taskforce, 2021– 023.
Member, Board of Trustees Joint Audit and Compliance Committee, 2021–2022.
Member, President’s Advisory Council on Policing, 2017– 2019.
Dean’s Representative (Elected), University Senate, 2017–2020, 2020–2023 (ended in 2021 due to Vice Provost appointment).

Email	kersaint@uconn.edu
Phone	860 486 3815
Mailing Address	Unit 3064
Office Location	Gentry 342E