By C. Brandon Chapman – College of Education
January 11, 2022

Doctoral student Johana Thomas Zapata has received a travel scholarship to the annual Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) conference.

The conference will be held Feb. 10-12 in Henderson, Nevada and Thomas Zapata, who is in the college’s Mathematics and Science Education program, is one of only four across the world to receive the Susan Gay Graduate Student Conference Travel Scholarship.

The scholarship covers the cost of graduate student early registration and provides addition money to offset the cost of attending the conference. Thomas Zapata said she’s excited to attend and to continue being part of the organization.

“Being part of the AMTE community allows me to share with peers my interest in mathematics educations and expands the spectrum of my access to materials and expert in the field,” she said.

In the application, Thomas Zapata had to talk about her background, her future goals as a mathematics teacher educator, and her progress within the doctoral program. In another paragraph, she expressed her teaching and research interests and the current direction of her work.

Thomas Zapata said WSU and the College of Education has helped that work.

“WSU has helped me learn more about the theories in teaching and learning and think of ideas to improve mathematics education equitably,” she said. “The courses I have taken in the last two years encompass different perspectives that encourage to look at mathematics as an inclusive subject that students should be eager to learn.

Professor Amy Roth McDuffie said  she cannot think of anyone more deserving of the scholarship than Zapata.

“I was delighted, but not at all surprised,” she said. “Johana embodies many of the goals of AMTE including focusing on educational research that informs practice, aiming to improve the way we prepare and support teachers, and emphasizing the importance and value of equity and diversity in teaching and learning.

Roth McDuffie said Thomas Zapata’s experience teaching in her home country of Honduras and graduate studies in Ireland and the U.S. support her multi-cultural and multi-lingual perspectives.

“Johana’s experiences and perspectives have enriched our college, and I’m sure that AMTE attendees will appreciate her views and participation, as well,” Roth McDuffie said.”

The scholarship is named after Susan Gay in honor of her extraordinary service to AMTE over many years as conference director, president, secretary, and board member-at-large.

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