• Hometown: Ponce, Puerto Rico
• Faculty mentor/advisor: Dr. Anne Estapa, Assistant Professor, Teaching & Learning Department and Dr. Ariel M. Aloe, Associate Professor, Psychological and Quantitative Foundations Department
• What is your degree program and expected graduate date? I’m currently working on a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education and a M.A. in Educational Measurement & Statistics. My expected graduate date is May 2023.
• Please describe your research: My research focuses on pre-service elementary teachers, especially those experiencing teaching anxiety about mathematics. I’m also interested on how math anxiety affects their teaching and learning styles and other factors like their Mathematical and Pedagogical Content Knowledge.
• In simple terms, why does this research matter? This research matters because pre-service elementary teachers are the foundation of education and are incredibly vital to society. If pre-service elementary teachers suffer from math anxiety, what message is sent to their future students? Who is responsible for developing pre-service elementary teachers free of math anxiety? My research aims to facilitate them with essential tools and strategies that would support their teaching and learning skills to help them decrease their math anxiety.
• How soon after starting at the University of Iowa were you able to participate in research? I was able to participate in research since my first year by supporting other professors in the Teaching & Learning Department, especially Dr. Brian Hand, Dr. Danny Hong, and Dr. Anne Estapa.
• How has being involved in research made you more successful at the University of Iowa? By working on research, I have had the opportunity to put into practice what I have learned with my professors within the College of Education. It also set me on the right path by inspiring me to go forward with my education, teaching, and work on research related to pre-service teachers. I also have had the opportunity to teach pre-service elementary teachers on their math content courses and it is so interesting working alongside them and see how they react to my teaching and learning skills inside and outside the classroom.
• What are your career goals and/or plans after graduation? After graduation, my career goals are to find an academic position and to keep supporting pre-service elementary teachers in their teaching and learning skills among others.
• Does your research have connections to or implications for COVID-19? Please explain. Yes, it does! For more than a year and a half, teachers have been teaching using different learning environments to ensure that their students receive an education of excellence.

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