Julie Nurnberger-Haag, a PhD candidate in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology (EPET), has been awarded a 2014 National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.
Nurnberger-Haag was chosen—amidst hundreds of applications—to be one of 30 receiving a $25,000 award to write her dissertation about student learning of negative numbers. The fellowship is designed to support those whose dissertations show potential for bringing new, innovative perspectives to the practice, theory, or history of education.
Nurnberger-Haag is a mathematics educator who is passionate about helping all students, from pre-K to adult, learn mathematics. She is particularly interested in improving instruction for those who typically struggle to learn math. She has spent considerable time leading teacher professional development and teaching school and college mathematics as well as education courses, including here at Michigan State University. Her teaching experience guides her research on students’ mathematical cognition, which currently focuses on topics of negative numbers, whole numbers, and geometric shapes.
Through policy and practice, the National Academy of Education exists to advance high quality education research that addresses pressing issues. The NAEd fellowship program was established with a grant from the Spencer Foundation.