CISER Grant Research Teams

CISER is a grant and university-supported center at Texas Tech University. Each grant submission is supported by a collaborative team of faculty, staff, and community members. A direct member of CISER is typically listed on each grant submission, but other collaborators come from many disciplines and departments across campus and the country.

Have a grant submission idea related to STEM education or need an outreach component for your grant? Contact us!

Some of CISER's current grant research teams are listed below.

James S. McDonnell Foundation Grant Team

The James S. McDonnell Foundation, founded in 1950 by aerospace pioneer James S. McDonnell, was established to "improve the quality of life" and does so by contributing to new knowledge by supporting research and scholarship. The Foundation has pursued its goals by supporting scientific, educational and charitable causes locally, nationally, and internationally. 

Aaron Zimmerman, Ph. D., Project Manager

Dr. Zimmerman, Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Texas Tech, is the Principal Investigator on this proposal. In this role and with the support of Dr. Jerry Dwyer, he will oversee the broader implementation of the project plan. Dr. Zimmerman's research is focused on investigating teachers' thinking and classroom decision-making. This proposal both builds upon his prior research and provides a solid foundation for his future work.

Dr. Zimmerman's Curriculum Vitae

Tyler Davis, Ph. D.

Dr. Davis, Assistant Professor in Psychological Studies at Texas Tech, is a Cognitive Psychologist who researches how people develop cognitive representations, with an emphasis on categorizations. Dr. Davis will be the lead research in the development of the cognitive frameworks, reflecting the participating teachers' instructional representations as they lead classroom discussions in mathematics.

Dr. Davis' Curriculum Vitae

Jerry Dwyer, Ph. D.

Dr. Dwyer is the current Director of CISER and a Professor in the College of Education at Texas Tech. Dr. Dwyer's Ph.D. is in mathematics and his current research focus is mathematical education of teachers, the scholarship of outreach, computational mathematics, and complex dynamics. Dr. Dwyer has over 20 years of experience in funded, educational research grants, and he will use this background to support Dr. Zimmerman throughout the implementation process.

Dr. Dwyer's Curriculum Vitae

Jessica Gottlieb, Ph. D.

Dr. Gottlieb is a current Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. Dr. Gottlieb's research is in Policy Studies in Urban Education. Prior to completing her Ph.D., Dr. Gottlieb was a classroom teacher in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Gottlieb's brings to this project both a practical and a professional understanding of the K-12 classroom.

Dr. Gottlieb's Curriculum Vitae

Carol Julian, M.S.

Ms. Julian will serve as our partner district liaison throughout the implementation of this proposal.

Ms. Julian's Curriculum Vitae

Lindsay Keazer, Ph. D.

Dr. Keazer is a current Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Central Connecticut State University. Dr. Keazer's research is the teaching and learning of mathematics. Her knowledge and experience will be essential to the appropriate interpretation of the data collected during Stage I and the design of the professional development program in Stage III.

Dr. Keazer's Curriculum Vitae

Matt Kloser, Ph. D.

Dr. Kloser is the Director of the Center for STEM Education and a faculty member of the ACE Teaching Fellows and the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Kloser's expertise lies in practice-based teacher education. He will assist this program in the development of an impactful, professional development program during the fourth year.

 Dr. Kloser's Curriculum Vitae

Barbara Moskal, Ph. D.

Dr. Moskal's research focus is in the assessment of learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Her doctoral degree is in Mathematics Education. At the Colorado School of Mines, Dr. Moskal is the Director of the Center for Assessment in STEM. She brings to this project a deep understanding of assessment and evaluation in mathematics and over 20 years of research experience. Dr. Moskal is also a senior Editor for the Journal of Engineering Education, which is the premier research journal for this field.

Dr. Moskal's Curriculum Vitae

Shannon Sweeny, Ph. D.

Dr. Sweeny has experience with both Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) Math Framework and the Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) measure, both which will be used here in Stage I and II of this proposal. Her knowledge will be essential in the valid interpretation of teachers' responses to these instruments.

Dr. Sweeny's Curriculum Vitae