Keynote Speakers

Venya Gunjal

Wednesday, October 18, 6:45 PM

Dr. Lya Snell serves as the GaDOE Education Program Manager for Mathematics and Computer Science, where she works to promote equity and access to high-quality mathematics programming throughout Georgia. This includes a focus on making mathematics relevant for students through STEM/STEAM education. Dr. Snell has served in multiple leadership and teaching capacities advocating for equity in mathematics education. She has participated in numerous outreach activities in a variety of settings and serves on a number of boards involving K-12 Mathematics, as well as STEM-STEAM education.

Kevin Dykema

Thursday, October 19, 8:30 AM

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a professor of mathematics education at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. He is the current president of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group, past-president of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, editor of the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, and a member of the NCTM Research Committee. He won the Cmolik Prize for the Enhancement of Public Education and the Fields Institute’s Margaret Sinclair Memorial Award for Innovation and Excellence in Mathematics Education for his topic of building thinking classrooms in mathematics.

Francis Su 

Friday, October 20, 8:30 AM

Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a former president of the Mathematical Association of America. In 2013, he received the Haimo Award, a nationwide teaching prize for college math faculty, and in 2018 he won the Halmos-Ford writing award. His research is in geometric combinatorics and applications to the social sciences. His work has been featured in Quanta Magazine, Wired, and the New York Times. His book Mathematics for Human Flourishing (2020), winner of the 2021 Euler Book Prize, offers an inclusive vision of what math is, who it's for, and why anyone should learn it.

Featured Speakers

Sean Kavanaugh

Sean Kavanaugh is a former teacher, school leader and school leader manager serving students in the Denver, Dallas and Palm Beach County communities. In 2012, Sean developed a compelling alternative to the way we teach and learn Mathematics called 360 Degree Math. His work with 360 Degree Math was featured in the CBS documentary TEACH and he has trained teachers across the country in this approach. As a school leader, Sean's schools won national attention from the New Leaders' Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC) and earned the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award in the state of Colorado. This award is given to schools that demonstrate exceptional student growth.

Sean grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, attending urban public schools. His strong desire to improve the quality of education in public schools propelled him to earn a BS in Elementary Education from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and a MEd in Educational Leadership from Lynn University. He would begin his career teaching Palm Beach County where he earned the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher Award, won the Belin & Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development Award, and was recognized by Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers on multiple occasions.