Kristen N. Bieda, a renowned mathematics education scholar, became chair of the MSU Department of Teacher Education on July 1, 2026.
Bieda, who has been with the MSU College of Education since 2008 and became a full professor in 2023, previously served as interim chair of the department, a role she held from 2024 onward. Bieda has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Mathematics Education) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in addition to degrees and a teaching certificate from Missouri State University. Bieda is also the associate director of mathematics for the CREATE for STEM Institute, and recently concluded a term as president of the Michigan Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (2022-2025).
“Throughout her interim position and interview process, I was impressed by Kristen Bieda’s leadership, thoughtful dialogue and commitment to the college,” said Jerlando F. L. Jackson, dean of the College of Education and MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor of Education. “Her record of collaborative decision-making will sustain and build upon the department’s long-standing record of excellence in education and education research.”
Indeed, Bieda consults and considers the Department of Teacher Education community in many of her decisions. It was MSU's innovative and community-engaged faculty that drew Bieda to MSU, and it’s also what has kept her grounded here, and excited for what is to come.
“We are known for doing things differently at the MSU College of Education,” Bieda said. “Our department is known for being audacious. We look at what the field needs, what other colleges and institutes are doing, and dare to dream about how we can stand apart and be disruptors in the educational space.”
For example, in addition to shortening the time-to-degree for the renowned Teacher Preparation program, the department recently launched several community-based initiatives to train highly qualified Spartan Educators more quickly and at a lower cost:
- The Community Teachers initiative, based in Grand Rapids, works with the local school district to recruit prospective educators while they are still in high school and to prepare them for roles in the same Grand Rapids community. The first cohort of this effort is in its second year at MSU.
- The Spartan Teachers Promise, launched in 2025, is a forgivable student loan initiative for MSU students who commit to teaching in a Michigan school.
Beyond external initiatives, the department is committed to advancing efficiencies internally, too. The college is actively transitioning to a new student learning and accreditation platform (Lumivero) this fall, which provides better, more user-friendly data for students, mentor teachers and administrators.
These efforts, and others, are part of a culture Bieda hopes to cultivate and grow as she embarks on a full-time role as chair.
“The Department of Teacher Education Core Principles are still central to everything we do. We go back to them routinely. Are we honoring them? Do we need to adjust them? We critique ourselves and our performance on them,” Bieda explained. The Core Principles were developed collectively in 2017 among various faculty stakeholder groups.
Leveraging the Core Principles, Bieda led the department in exercises throughout her interim term to reassess which offerings the faculty and staff considered critical. First and foremost were the programs. MSU is home to a highly regarded undergraduate Teacher Preparation Program, where candidates obtain a bachelor’s degree and earn the knowledge to sit for the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC). The program includes two cohort-based offerings – the Urban Educators and Global Educators Cohort Programs, which are unique among Big Ten institutions. The department also offers two graduate-level degrees: the fully online M.A. in Teaching and Curriculum and the Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education.
Now, Bieda is ready to advance what the college and department are known for and take the next steps for the department to “lead in a way that no one else is thinking about doing,” as she puts it.
That work will be done in tandem with the faculty and staff, who aren’t afraid to “dream big” alongside Bieda and who are willing to put in the work to see a project from ideation to completion. Bieda now looks to harness that energy.
“The faculty and staff are extraordinary in where they see the field is going and where they want our department to go,” Bieda said. “I’m here to strategize, to optimize that work. I’ll help ask tough questions and provide logistics on next steps — but what those next steps are will be decided together.”