Mathematics Potential Lab
Foundational to the work of our research lab
is the belief that each child,
regardless of disability status, current level of
mathematics achievement and any other factor,
not only deserves access to quality mathematics support necessary to be successful but also has the potential to make robust gains
in mathematics understanding.
Jessica Rodrigues
Associate Professor, Special Education
Director, MPL
Dr. Rodrigues is an Associate Professor in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Missouri. She is the Director of the Mathematics Potential Lab. She is the Principal Investigator on two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants—one of which is an NSF CAREER award.
Emily L. Singell
Ph.D. Student, Special Education
Project Lead, NSF KEY
Project Lead, NSF TVA
Emily is a third-year graduate student in the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri. Her research interests include data-based individualization as a tool to support teachers’ use and effective implementation of evidence-based mathematics instructional practices to improve outcomes for students with or at risk for mathematics disabilities. She is also interested in translation science and making research accessible to educators and key stakeholders.
Shannon Locke
Ph.D. Student, Special Education
Shannon is a Special Education doctoral candidate at Mizzou with over 25 years of experience in Speech Language Pathology (SLP) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She established Autism Outfitters, LLC in 2017 to provide consultation, training, and advocacy for ASD. She is also currently teaching two courses in Special Education at Mizzou. She is interested in researching ways to build communities of support for autistic individuals and Universal Design for Learning.
Kate Roberts
Master's Student, ESCP
Kate is a master’s student in the Department of Education, School, and Counseling Psychology at Mizzou. She is originally from North Carolina. She plans to work as a mental health counselor, with her clinical interests focused primarily on college students, athletes, and individuals with disabilities. She also has experience working as a Registered Behavior Technician in the autistic community. She has a variety of research interests and is passionate about creating an inclusive and diverse learning environment that can meet the needs of every individual.
Lindsey Mirielli
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Mirielli is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Juniper Gardens (KU) and continues to lead the Special Education Faculty Jobs POD--a project she started with MPL during her doctoral studies. She is originally from Columbia and received her undergraduate degree from Mizzou. Before returning to continue her education, she worked as a high school special education teacher. Her research focuses on social skills instruction in the secondary setting.
Taylor Geneux
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Taylor is a junior and a Columbia native. She is studying Environmental Science and Sustainability in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. She is interested in all fields of research along with helping and empowering the community in any way she can.
Emma Ellison
Undergraduate Research Assistant
MPL Culture Coordinator
Emma is a senior at Mizzou studying Sociology and earning certificates in Multicultural Studies and Human Resource Management. She is passionate about understanding how social inequalities manifest and about promoting change through intentional inclusive practices. She is interested in researching how to aid our communities in supporting students with disabilities. After graduation, she plans to continue to care for her community by working as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion employee.
Szymon Åšlusarz-Kowalczyk
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Szymon is sophomore studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is interested in research benefiting minorities, which has long been underexplored. He plans to continue to advocate for disabled, neurodivergent, and other minority students, and hopes to inspire others to pursue STEM fields.
Molly Allen-Thomas
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Molly is a third year undergraduate student studying Psychology and earning a minor in Women and Gender Studies, as well as certificates in Ethics and Multicultural Studies. She is
passionate about using an intersectional lens in research and utilizing education as a method of bringing about change and promoting inclusivity. She is particularly interested in how social
inequalities affect childhood education outcomes, and how those inequities can be remedied. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a therapist.
Mackenna Vander Tuin
Graduate Research Assistant, UT Austin
Mackenna is a third-year doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin in the Special Education department. Her research interests include elementary mathematics interventions, mathematics vocabulary, parental involvement in academics, and playscape accessibility. She hopes to continue educational research in her career to further the academic success of students with or at risk for mathematics difficulty.
NSF Summer Fellows
Graduate students and practitioners from across the United States joined the Mathematics Potential Lab via mentored Summer Fellowships,
funded by NSF TVA and NSF CAREER Project KEY.​
Alexandra "Allie" Wolf
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Allie is a third year doctoral student in the Special Education program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research interests revolve around writing curriculum and instruction for youth with dis/Abilities experiencing the juvenile carceral system. Prior to her doctoral study, Allie taught middle and high school English language arts in a Pennsylvania public school district. As an educator and researcher, her experiences have led to her conviction that institutions must grow and change to provide all youth with a quality, liberatory, and accessible education.
Boran Yu
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Boran is a first-year PhD student in the Learning Science and Psychological Studies program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is passionate in bringing the research together with practice in the k-12 mathematics classroom as a researcher, a teacher, and a teacher educator. Before this, she received her MSc from the University of Edinburgh.
Louis Justman
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Louis is beginning his Ph.D. studies at the University of Kansas this fall. He will work in the Instructional Design, Technology & Innovation specialization of the Special Education program. Before moving into academia, Louis served K-12 students with exceptionalities in Michigan public schools. Louis’ research interests lie at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and special education. He hopes to help foster artificial intelligence to enhance and personalize student learning and better prepare K-12 educators to be the “human in the loop” in harnessing AI to address unique needs and challenges.
Emily Hardeman
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Emily is a third year doctorate student at the University of Texas at Austin in the Special Education program. She holds a Masters degree in Special Education and is a Certified Academic Language Therapist. Prior to joining the doctorate program, she was a Special Education teacher in public schools. Emily's research interest is teacher knowledge of reading. She is passionate about supporting students with reading disabilities through research and advocacy.
Dawn Grigg Purdie
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Dawn is a recent graduate from NC State University in the MEd Special Education program. She currently works at Fusion Academy as a Special Education Lead, working 1:1 with students and teachers to provide individualized education to grades 6-12. Dawn’s research interests include learning loss, specifically post COVID, and effective teaching strategies to improve student progress.
Kathyanne Sheffield
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Kathyanne is K-12 practitioner and a recent doctoral graduate from the University of Houston earning an Ed.D in Professional Leadership-Special Populations. Her academic journey has been guided by a fervent commitment to addressing critical issues within education, including advocating for special populations, promoting racial equity, and championing social-emotional learning initiatives.
Kathleen Mason
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Katie is a second-year doctoral student in the Special Education Program at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Master’s of Science in Government Analytics from Johns Hopkins University. Most recently, she attended the Modern Meta-Analysis Research Institute. Katie is dedicated to prevention science, aiming to improve long-term student outcomes through mathematics and behavioral intervention research.
Kyle C. Hay
NSF TVA Summer 2024 Fellow
Kyle is a third-year Special Education doctoral candidate in the Department of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research interests lie at the intersection of cognitive control, anxiety, and students with or at-risk for mathematics disabilities. He is also interested in special education policy related to teacher preparation. He previously received his M.S. in Special Education from the University of Kansas, and has worked as a special education teacher.
Megyn Martin
NSF Project KEY Summer 2024 Fellow
Megyn is a doctoral student in the department of Special Education at Mizzou. She has eight years of experience as a special educator, teaching students with significant academic and behavioral support needs. Megyn is an OSEP Scholar through a leadership grant, Leaders Investigating Math Evidence (LIME). Her current research interests are mathematics and behavioral interventions for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and low-instance disabilities.
Carolyn Conway
NSF Project KEY Summer 2024 Fellow
Carolyn is originally from Chicago and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Missouri. Currently, she is a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program with the College of Education and Human Development. She is interested in supporting K-12 teachers with their classroom and behavior management, as well as their stress and wellness.
MPL Funding
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MPL undergraduate research experiences, as well as the summer fellowships for graduate students and practitioners across the country, are funded by external awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF). We are grateful for NSF's support.
See current external funding for more information about these projects.
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MPL undergraduate research conference travel--to attend and present at the CEC research conference--and "aha! moments" that help students achieve their full potential are generously supported by the Cinelli Family Foundation.
We are extremely grateful for the Foundation's support of the MPL mission.
Research Lab Alumni
Kailee
Rickerson
Rachel
Johnston
Dani
Davis
Kailey
Gidley
Kristin
Moser
Erin
Johlie
Wendy
Cornell
Julia
Loffredo
Rhiannon
Sicht
Interested in supporting each child's mathematics success
& gaining experience working in a research lab?
Contact Dr. Rodrigues: rodriguesjm@missouri.edu
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