1988-89 Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Northern Illinois University
1974-88 Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Education, Ahmadu
Bello University,
Zaria, Nigeria
------Head of Mathematics Education Section, 1977-88
1969-72 Peace Corps Volunteer: Secondary
Mathematics Teacher
and Modern Mathematics Advisor, Bonthe and Bo,
Sierra Leone
Education & Honors
Ph.D. Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, 1984, Curriculum & Instruction in Mathematics
Education
------Dissertation: "Teacher Participation in Mathematics Curriculum
Development and Implementation in Three Northern States of Nigeria", DAI, 45,11,
A-3275-6 (ERIC number ED250151)
M.Ed. University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign, 1973,
Comparative & International Education
B.S. California Institute of Technology,
1969,
Mathematics and
History (double major)
Elected a Fellow of the Mathematical Association of Nigeria, 1992
Maryland College Teacher of the Year (Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics),
1997
College of Science and Mathematics Award for University and Professional
Service, 2000
Scholarship: Refereed Publications (in journals and books):
--A Cyclic Pattern of Mathematics Curriculum Trends (with Iorhemen J.
Kyeleve) in
--"Thomas Fuller and his Calculation Ability" (with Sarah Greenwald and Amy
Ksir) in The Centroid (Journal of the North Carolina Council of Teachers
of Mathematics) 30,1(Spring 2004), pp. 15-19 [Note: through Amy Ksir, my Erdös
number is 5]
--"Ethnomathematics and Teacher's Qualification--Roundtable
Introduction" Second International Conference on Ethnomathematics
Proceedings,
2002.
--"Ethnomathematics
as a Fundamental of Instructional
Methodology" Zentralblatt fur Didaktik der
Mathematik--International Reviews on Mathematical Education, issue
2001/3 (June 2001)
--"A Visit from Pythagoras: Using Costumes in the Classroom"
Mathematics
Teacher,93,8(November 2000)
--"20th Century Mathematics: A Brief Review", Mathematics Teaching in
the Middle School,5,5(January 2000) (also in Portuguese in
Educao e Matemtica 60,
Nov/Dec 2000,
on-line in PDF
[this link may not be good])
--"Ethnomathematics in Teacher Education" in Oliveras, M.L.,
Ethnomathematics
and Mathematics Education: Building an Equitable Future, International
Conference on Ethnomathematics I
Proceedings,
1998.
--"Activities from African Calendar and Time Customs",
Mathematics
Teaching in the Middle School 1,8 (Jan 1996).
--"Nominals: Numbers as Names", Teaching Children Mathematics, 2,4
(December 1995) pp. 242-5.
--"Mathematics for All Children: A Multicultural Race, Gender, and Class
Analysis", Race, Gender & Class, 3,1,(Fall 1995) pp.125-160 [with
others].
--"Using Ethnomathematics to Help Find Multicultural Mathematical
Connections" in House, Peggy (ed), Connecting Mathematics across the Curriculum (1995
NCTM Yearbook).
--"Nigerian Mathematics Curriculum for the Year 2000: Problems of
Forecasting in Developing Countries" in Malone, J. (ed)
The Mathematics
Curriculum: Toward the Year 2000, 1989.
--"Watching Halley's Comet: A Special Learning Experience",
Savanna
(A Journal of the Environmental and Social Sciences, Zaria, Nigeria), 9, 1.(June 1988),pp.17-22.
--"Directions for School Mathematics Curricula in Nigeria",
Studies in
Mathematics and Applications (Proceedings of the International
Conference and Workshop on Mathematics and its Applications, 1987), Zaria,
Nigeria: Institute of Education Press, Ahmadu Bello University, 1987.
--"Teachers in Curriculum Development: A
Case Study of Mathematics
Teachers in Teachers' Colleges of Benue, Kaduna, and Sokoto States of
Nigeria", Nigeria Educational Forum, 9, 2 (December 1986),
pp. 289-292.
--"History of Mathematics in Nigerian Mathematics Classrooms: Values and
Problems" Abacus (Journal of the Mathematical Association of
Nigeria),17,1(March 1986)pp.123-133.
--Primary Mathematics for Nigerian Schools, Books 1-6. Nigeria
Educational Research Council (with others) Lagos, Nigeria: Macmillan Nigeria
& Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria) 1981.
----eight book reviews in Mathematics Teaching in the Middle
School,1,1; 1,5; 3,2; 3,4; 4,1; 4,4; 5,3; 7,8 (1994-2002)
----four online book
reviews (2004, 2006, 2007, 2009) and one webpage review (2006)
in Convergence
Other Significant Publications and Writings
--HIV/AIDS data in a data-processing
lesson Lesson Plans for WorldView Magazine, Special Issue on HIV/AIDS,18,
2, May 2005
--"Nigeria
After Peace Corps
Service", Friends of Nigeria Newsletter,
Winter 2003, pp10,11.
--"Sequence A061190" contribution to On-Line
Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, May
2001.
--Mathematics Education Folio (compiler), NCATE Accreditation for Towson
University (1999)
--"Mathematics: African Style", Australian Mathematics Teacher, 49,3,
(1993) pp.24, 25.
--"2/3 of 19" in Austin, Dan Joe (editor), Applications of Secondary
School Mathematics: Readings from the MATHEMATICS TEACHER, Reston
VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1991, p. 188.
--Video Games for Math: A Case for `Kid Culture'", ISGEm
Newsletter--International Study
Group on Ethnomathematics, 6, 2 (July 1991), pp.2,3.
--"Editorial: Ethnomathematics for History in the Third World",
Newsletter of the International Study Group on the Relations between
History and Pedagogy of Mathematics, vol.13, pp 2, 3, 1986.
--Report of the Working Committee on the Academic Programme for the School
of Science and Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna,
Nigeria,1986 (contributor and secretary/compiler).
Conference Presentations
Nearly one hundred presentations on history of
mathematics,
ethnomathematics, curriculum, teacher education, etc. at International Conferences on
Ethnomathematics(1998, 2002, 2006), International Congresses of
Mathematical Education (1980,88,92,2000, 08); Pan-African Congress of
Mathematicians (1986); national meetings of the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)(1993-97;99-2006,2008, 2009) and Mathematical Association
of Nigeria (1980,85,87,92); regional meetings of NCTM (1991-2004); Maryland
Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1990-2009); International Studies Schools
Association (2004,05), Frostburg Mathematics
Symposium (1991-93), and others. Also, many presentations at various local
seminars, workshops, colloquia, and student groups.
Service
Professional
--International
Study Group on Ethnomathematics (ISGEm), President of North American Chapter--NASGEm
(2001-2004); NCTM Representative (1995-2001), member of Executive Board (1991-);
Chief Organizer of
Fourth International Conference on Ethnomathematics
(planned for July 25-30, 2010)
--member, Editorial Board of Journal of Mathematics and Culture; also, referee for
other journal articles and books
--Consultant, Louisiana Board of Regents, evaluation of a proposed M.S. Homeland
Security degree program (2008)
--Maryland State Director, American
Mathematical Competitions-8, Mathematical Association of America (1991-2004)
--Member, Committee on Edyth May Sliffe Awards, Mathematical
Association of America, (2001-2005)
--Consultant, Peace Corps: Evaluation of Math/Science Education Project,
Peace Corps--Cameroon (1995)
--Presenter at many teacher workshops and programs for college students
and school children (1971-present).
--Coordinator of public education program on Halley's Comet, featuring an
exhibition, public lectures, newsletter, and observation sessions, Zaria,
Nigeria (1985-6).
University and College:
--Member, Middle States (Reaccreditation) Steering Committee (2007- ),
Chair of Subcommittee 6-D (General Education)
--ex officio member, Graduate Studies Committee (2001- )
--Member, University Assessment Council (UAC)
(2008- )
--Member, UAC Subcommittee on General Education Assessment
(2008-)
--Member, University
General Education Sub-Committee, (1995-2006).
--Member,
Multicultural Institute Advisory Board and earlier similar
groups, (1993-)
--Member,
University Promotions and Tenure
Committee (1998-2002)(Chair
2000-01)
--Member, Towson
Leadership Institute, (1996-97)
--Elected member of College Council, (1993-8);(Chair, 95-97; Secretary,
94-95)
--Mathematics Department Representative,
Teacher Education Executive Board,
(1990-1999)
Mathematics Department:
--Departmental Committee Member: Self-Study, Education, Resource & Evaluation, Majors Assessment,
Student Welfare, Adjunct Faculty, Placement, Webpage, Colloquium (1990-2004)
--Member and Chair of several faculty search committees (1992-2004)
--Faculty Advisor to the Math Club (1991-97).
Teaching and Supervision
--Main teaching areas: history and culture of mathematics; curriculum, instruction,
and evaluation for elementary and secondary mathematics teacher
education; mathematics content for
elementary teachers; secondary and pre-calculus college mathematics, elementary
statistics, seminar classes on teaching professionalism, etc.
at Ahmadu Bello University, Northern Illinois University, Towson University
(including Towson's graduate program in Shanghai, China, 2009)
--Adjunct Professor, College of Notre Dame of Maryland,
(1993,1994); Hamline
University, 2000.
--Supervised (or assisted with) research of five doctoral and nine masters degree candidates,
Union Institute (Cincinnati OH) (1993-96) and Ahmadu
Bello University,
Zaria, Nigeria (1985-88).
--Supervised student teaching of secondary mathematics, Ahmadu
Bello University,
Zaria, Nigeria, (1974-88);
Towson
University, (1995-1999)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lawrence Shirley has served as the Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research at Towson University in Maryland since 2001. As a tenured full Professor in the Mathematics Department, he is a mathematics educator with special interest in the history and culture of mathematics and ethnomathematics. He is originally from Arizona and has a B.S. in mathematics and history from Caltech, an M.Ed. in comparative and international education from Illinois, and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from Ahmadu Bello University (Nigeria). After Peace Corps service as a secondary mathematics teacher in Sierra Leone, he taught mathematics education at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria for fifteen years and was head of the mathematics education section. He has been at Towson University since 1989 and previously served as Vice-Chair and Acting Chair of the Mathematics Department. He is the past-president of the North American Study Group on Ethnomathematics. He is married to Alberta Ohenewah Shirley and has two grown children, Jeff Shirley and Emily Sweet, and step-daughter, Takyiwah Adisi. His webpage is http://pages.towson.edu/shirley