Joan Ferrini-Mundy's service to the mathematics education community span multiple levels, state, regional, national, and international and go well beyond the responsibilities of her jobs. From the beginning of her career as a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire, her commitment to the importance of involvement in and outreach to the state and regional mathematics teacher organizations was extraordinary. Highlighting her commitment to service, she was elected to the NCTM Board of Directors and chaired the Writing Group for NCTM 's 2000 Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Joan's work with MAA, AMTE, and AMS to name a few, provide strong evidence of the respect that Joan has within the mathematics education community and the value placed on her expertise. Through her service she has had a tremendous impact on many policies and practices - and ultimately people - in mathematics education.
In addition to her many contributions directly to or through NCTM, Joan has also provided significant leadership in and service to the field of mathematics education while working in positions of both influence and impact. She co-founded SummerMath for Teachers at Mount Holyoke College and directed the MST program at the University of New Hampshire for ten years. Joan then held an appointment at Michigan State University (MSU) as a University Distinguished Professor of Mathematics Education and Associate Dean for Science and Mathematics Education. She worked at the National Research Council, served as Director of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board (MSEB), and served numerous roles at the National Science Foundation, most notably as NSF Chief Operating Officer. Mentioned by all nominators is Joan's ability to work across fields, to communicate across divides, and to combine vision and pragmatism to advance programs and initiatives.
As a researcher, Joan has made significant contributions to scholarship on calculus teaching and learning, mathematics teacher learning, and mathematics and science education policy at the K12 level. Her nearly one hundred scholarly publications, along with technical reports, committee reports, congressional testimony, and legislative appearances speak to the impact Joan has had across her career. Noted by one nominator, “Dr. Ferrini-Mundy has been at the table, often in the lead role, when people gather to improve education, especially STEM or mathematics education in the United States because her contributions are so valuable.”
Joan currently serves as President of the University of Maine and vice Chancellor for Research and innovation within the University of Maine System.