Ksenija Simic-Muller

Coordinator of Peace Scholars Program

she/her/hers

Ksenija Simic-Muller

Phone: 253-535-7034

Email: simicmka@plu.edu

Office Location: Morken Center for Learning & Technology - 253

  • Professional
  • Biography

Additional Titles/Roles

  • Professor of Mathematics
  • Chair of Mathematics

Education

  • Ph.D., Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University, 2004
  • M.S., Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University, 2000
  • Undergraduate, Theoretical Mathematics, University of Belgrade, 1997

Areas of Emphasis or Expertise

  • Logic
  • Mathematics Education
  • Math and Social Justice

Books

  • Reflecting the World: A Guide to Incorporating Equity in Mathematics Teacher Education co-authored with Mathew D. Felton-Koestler and José María Menéndez (Information Age Publishing, Inc. 2017) : View Book

Selected Presentations

  • Math Enthusiast series at the University of Washington Tacoma, Real world problems and real real world problems, Tacoma, WA (April 2019)
  • Critical Issues in Mathematics Education Conference, Equity and social justice theoretical frameworks to move us forward in developing a vision for mathematical modeling education, Berkeley, CA (March 2019)
  • Western Regional Noyce Conference, Using warm-up routines to promote equity-oriented and anti-racist dispositions, Tucson, AZ (February 2019)
  • Portland State University Mathematics Department Seminar Series, Teaching math for social justice: The promise and practice, Portland, OR (2019)

Selected Articles

  • Fairbairn L., Jackson, K., & Simic-Muller, K. "Making art in math class during the pandemic. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics." Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Vol. 11, 2021:
  • Simic-Muller, K. "There are different ways you can be good at math”: Quantitative literacy, mathematical modeling, and reading the world." PRIMUS Vol. 29, 2019: 259-280.
  • Simic-Muller, K. "Motherhood and teaching: Radical care." Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Vol. 8, 2019: 188-198.
  • Griffith, L. and Simic-Muller, K. "World Cup, Fairness, and Teaching Mathematics." Noticias de Todos’ Mathematics for All Vol. 13, 2018: 2-4.

Accolades

  • 2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant to support "Building Capacity to Prepare STEM Majors to Become STEM Educators"
  • 2017 PLU Faculty Excellence Award in Mentoring
  • 2017 PLU David T. Alger Service Award

Biography

Why do you serve on the Peace Scholars Committee? 

I was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia (Former Yugoslavia), and have had first-hand experience with the effects of war and conflict.  I teach in the Mathematics Department and have a particular interest in issues of equity and social justice in mathematics education. My personal experiences and professional interests are closely linked to the pursuit of peace and justice, and I am appreciative of the opportunity to serve on the Nobel Peace Prize Forum Committee.

 

Professional information

Ksenija Simic-Muller received her undergraduate degree in Theoretical Mathematics at the University of Belgrade in Serbia (former Yugoslavia), and her masters and doctoral degrees from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Her doctorate was in Pure and Applied Logic. She then had a teaching postdoctoral position at the University of Arizona, where she retrained as a mathematics educator while working for the Center for the Mathematics Education of Latinos/as. Her current research interests are in the areas of culturally relevant mathematics teaching, teaching mathematics for social justice, and equity in mathematics education in general, especially as they pertain to teacher education.