Leadership Team

	Dr. Angela Antonou is a mathematics professor at the University of St. Francis. Dr. Antonou’s involvement in promoting mathematics and teaching in her local area has included work with students, teachers, and university faculty. She has created a detailed curriculum, constructed inquiry-based learning activities, and facilitated the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy summer math program for students in grades 8 and 9. Additionally, she has worked with local junior high school teachers to plan and execute activities for a Family Math Night. Most recently, she led a session on active learning in the classroom for faculty at University of St. Francis in order to share the information acquired while at the Summer STEM Faculty Institute on Teaching at Washington University.
	Dr. Amanda Harsy is currently an assistant professor of mathematics at Lewis University. She is a Gold ‘14 Project NExT Fellow and is part of the leadership team for the Southwest Chicago Suburbs Math Teachers’ Circle. Dr. Harsy has served as the faculty advisor for Lewis’ Math Club and has helped them create and lead sessions on the mathematics behind games like poker and mastermind. Dr. Harsy has also been active in outreach to local middle schools with a focus on encouraging girls to pursue mathematics and computer science. In particular, she has run several summer math camps and has led several Girls Create with Technology sessions for middle schoolers. She also enjoys mentoring undergraduate research and has done projects involving math education, linear algebra, graph theory, statistics, and data science. She has worked with over 30 students on undergraduate research projects.
	Dr. Rita Patel is an assistant professor of mathematics at College of DuPage.  She holds a PhD in mathematics from Northern Illinois University.  Her area of focus is mathematics education.  Additionally, Dr. Patel has an undergraduate degree in business marketing and management from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Dr. Patel is active in college and university service activities. In particular, she is working with community college and high school personnel to build a curriculum for high school students intending to pursue non-STEM majors in college. She participates in professional service presentations to practicing middle and high school mathematics teachers. At Northern Illinois University, Dr. Patel has taught developmental math courses for diverse students from underserved areas and mathematics education courses for pre-service teachers.
	Dr. Kristen R. Schreck, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, IL, is a former lead for the SWMTC.  She earned her Doctorate of Arts degree in Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Schreck is a proponent of using inquiry-based learning in the classroom. She received a grant from the Educational Advancement Foundation, through the Academy of Inquiry Based Learning, and has developed a student-centered curriculum in her courses to transform her teaching role from a more traditional dispenser of knowledge into a facilitator of knowledge.  Dr. Schreck also avidly explores the use of 3D printing in her mathematics courses.  She develops 3D printing lessons for her students to enhance their understanding and visualization of complex mathematical concepts. She welcomes the opportunity to work together with mathematics teachers in the Math Teachers’ Circle in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago, on challenging and enjoyable problems that incorporate the facets of an inquiry-based approach and focus on learning on the part of the participant.
	Ms. Amanda Snooks is a former lead on the SWMTC who graduated from Saint Xavier University, in May 2015, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She was previously the 5th and 6th grade math teacher at St. Bede the Venerable Elementary School in Chicago, IL for two years. Amanda is now in her fourth year of teaching in Burbank School District 111, where she teaches 7th grade math at Liberty Junior High. Furthermore, Amanda is continuing her education by pursuing a Masters Degree in Special Education from Concordia University Chicago. On the MTC leadership team, Amanda serves as a member of the recruitment sub-committee.
	Dr. Christina Jamroz is a mathematics professor at the University of St. Francis.  She is an algebraist who obtained her PhD from Purdue University in 2018.
	Dr. Brittany Stephenson is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. She obtained her PhD in Applied Mathematics, with a concentration in Mathematical Ecology, from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN in 2018. Her research interests include mathematical epidemiology, mathematical modeling, and optimal control. She also has research pursuits in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; through this research, she hopes to consider a variety of pedagogical tools and determine their effectiveness for student learning. In particular, she is interested in active learning/inquiry-based learning techniques has recently begun using mastery-based testing. Dr. Stephenson hopes to encourage more females and underrepresented groups to encourage work in STEM fields and has led outreach workshops on agent-based modeling and group theory for middle school and high school girls.
	Dr. Michael Smith is an Instructor of Mathematics at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL.
	Dr. Marie Meyer is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL.