This week we caught up with Alexis Deidre Spina, a doctoral student in the Department of Education with an emphasis in Math Education. She received her B.A. in Physics Education from the University of Delaware in 2007, and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary Science Education from the University of Delaware in 2009. Prior to starting her PhD, Alexis taught high school math and science for ten years. Currently, her research interests are professional development for in-service mathematics teachers and preparing pre-service mathematics teachers. Alexis is a member or our GSAE, a CTERIN fellow, and teaches with our TEP program. (Note this 5?s format is taken from one of the School's internal communications, and is meant to help the Gevirtz community get to know itself better.)
GGSE: Who do you most admire (living or dead)?
Spina: Easy, my mom. She is the strongest person I have ever met. I admire who she is as a person, a wife, a mother, and as my best friend.
GGSE: What is your favorite place in Santa Barbara?
Spina: My favorite place in Santa Barbara has to be the beach at sunset. My husband and I love to go to Devereux when it is low tide and search the tide pools for ocean life. The best is when the Leopard Sharks are out!
GGSE: When (besides now) would you like to live?
Spina: Sometime in the future, maybe 100 years from now. I often like to think about what our world will be like and I would love to experience it.
GGSE: Where (besides Santa Barbara) would you want to live if money/job were not an issue?
Spina: This is a tough question, because I never want to leave Santa Barbara. However, I have always loved the Eastern states of Australia. If money/job were not an issue, I would love to live in Brisbane, Cairns, or Melbourne. A long journey from here, but totally worth the plane ride!
GGSE: Why do you do the job you do?
Spina: I am very passionate about math and science and I want to share this passion with as many students and teachers as possible. There are so many wonderful things happening in STEM education, but we also have a long way to go. I want to help with this is every way possible so that all students can achieve success in whatever they may be passionate about.