Montclair State - Mathematics Department

The Chemistry Department indicated that some of their introductory chemistry students were having some difficulties with mathematics and needed support. MATH 370 students stepped in to help. They created a 3 part video series of explanations of various topics students might need to review. In creating the videos, students not only collaborated with their MATH 370 professor Dr. Nina Bailey, but received detailed feedback from Drs. Yvonne Gindt, Hendrik Eshuis, and Nina Goodey. The videos are now housed on the The Chemistry Math Review Video Series website which can only be accessed by current Montclair students. Check out their hard work! We are so proud of you all: Alex Brown, Lauren Khalil, Veronica Rodriguez, Christian Romito, Lisbeth Rosario Burdier, Melissa Sanchez Casa, and Tracy Tobar! And a huge thanks to Lauren Khalil for designing the logo. Website link: https://sites.google.com/montclair.edu/the-chem-math-review/home

Join us on June 18 at 2PM for an info webinar to learn more about our PhD program in Mathematics Education! Please also share with any friends or colleagues who might be interested. Register here:
https://graduate.montclair.edu/register/Mathematics-PhD-Info-Session

Our very own Drs. Munakata & Leszczynski have published a book! This book is written with undergraduate students in mind and is suitable as a textbook for general education mathematics courses. It can also be used for high school STEM clubs, summer bridge and enrichment programs and home schooling and allows for self-guided explorations by the student.

The book is available for order via Routledge and Amazon.

Congrats to Drs. Munakata & Leszczynski!

Munakata, M., & Leszczynski, E. (2026). Creative Thinking through Mathematics: A Student’s Guide to Mathematical Explorations. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003541097

Reminder! Join us for a virtual info session, via Zoom, next Tuesday June 2nd at 7 PM to learn more about our graduate programs in the Mathematics Department, including three fully online programs in Mathematics Education. Register here: https://graduate.montclair.edu/register/Graduate-Mathematics-Programs

The Department of Mathematics at Montclair is proud to celebrate a major milestone for one of our own. Dr. Geena Taite, a recent graduate of our doctoral program in Mathematics Education, has accepted her dream position as a full-time Lecturer of Developmental Mathematics at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

In a full-circle moment, Dr. Taite returns to Ramapo, where she first earned her undergraduate degree. Her appointment reflects both her deep commitment to students and her expertise in supporting meaningful mathematical learning across diverse contexts.

In her new role, Dr. Taite will deliver high-impact, inclusive instruction in developmental mathematics while also supporting adjunct faculty, leading innovative teaching and student support initiatives such as supplemental instruction and active learning, and contributing to ongoing course improvement. She will collaborate with colleagues on curricular design, and work closely with campus student success offices to strengthen mathematics support across the institution.

Dr. Taite’s journey reflects the kind of impact we hope to see from our graduates, thoughtful, dedicated educators who bring both vision and care to their work. We are thrilled to see her return to the institution where her academic path began, now as a faculty member shaping the experiences of future students.

Congratulations, Dr. Taite! We are incredibly proud of you and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish in this exciting new chapter.

Join us for a virtual info session, via Zoom, on June 2nd at 7 PM to learn more about our graduate programs in the Mathematics Department, including three fully online programs in Mathematics Education. Register here: https://graduate.montclair.edu/register/Graduate-Mathematics-Programs

Dr. Alfred Limbere, a former PhD student in Mathematics Education at Montclair, has published a study in Education Sciences examining how preservice teachers notice and respond to students’ reasoning about rate of change. This work explores how teachers attend to, interpret, and respond to students’ quantitative and covariational reasoning in dynamic mathematical contexts. The study offers insights into how teacher preparation can better support future educators in making sense of students’ thinking, particularly in challenging topics like rate of change. Alfred collaborated with Drs. DiNapoli and Greenstein as co-authors, as well.

You can find this paper via open access here: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/16/5/718

Alfred is now teaching in the mathematics department at Drake University in Iowa. We are so proud to see Alfred continuing to contribute meaningful research to the field!

The department recently celebrated several thesis defenses.

Kaitlyn Cohan defended her master’s thesis entitled Analysis of collective behavior in living and nonliving systems. Her committee included Dr. Ashwin Vaidya (thesis sponsor), Dr. Bogdan Nita, and Dr. Deepak Bal.

Edward Czudak defended his master’s thesis entitled The Tones And Frequencies Of A Glockenspiel. His committee included Dr. Bogdan Nita (thesis sponsor), Dr. Ashwin Vaidya, and Dr. Jonathan Cutler.

Vlad Nita defended his master’s thesis entitled An Exploration of Autorotating Pendulum Models. His committee included Dr. Ashwin Vaidya (thesis sponsor), Dr. Arup Mukherjee, and Dr. Jonathan Cutler.

Kevin Vargas defended his master’s thesis entitled Computational and Experimental Study of Energy Extraction from Vertical Axis Wind Turbines in Realistic Environments. His committee included Dr. Ashwin Vaidya (thesis sponsor), Dr. Arup Mukherjee, and Dr. Bogdan Nita.

Congratulations to you all for a successful defense. We are proud of you!

The Mathematics Department had nine students presenting research at this year's Student Research Symposium.

Undergraduate student Noelani Brown presented a poster entitled Bringing Back Belonging: Do Students’ and Faculty’s Perceptions of Student Belonging Align in STEM? (faculty mentor: Dr. Nina Bailey)

Masters student Grace Pomaah Amoako presented a poster entitled TikToks and High School Students’ Statistical Literacy: An Exploratory Case Study (faculty mentor: Dr. Nina Bailey)

Doctoral student Asja Alić presented two individual posters. The first entitled Patterns of Critical Statistical Literacy Habits of Mind across Preservice Teachers and Adults (faculty mentors: Dr. Nina Bailey and Dr. Karoline Smucker of Eastern Oregon University). The second Examining Descriptive Statistics Tasks in Introductory Statistics Textbooks (faculty mentors: Drs. Nina Bailey and Joseph DiNapoli).

Doctoral student Ariel Bonneau Rodriguez presented a poster entitled Introductory Statistics: How Textbooks Shape Student Learning (faculty mentor: Dr. Joseph DiNapoli).

Doctoral candidate Emily Olson presented a poster entitled The Role of Logic in Motivating In/Direct Proof: Analysis of Proof-Based Curriculum (faculty mentor: Dr. Joseph DiNapoli).

Doctoral student Gabriella Migliore presented a poster entitled Mathematical Modeling in the Big Ideas Blue Book (faculty mentor: Dr. Joseph DiNapoli).

Doctoral students Asja Alić and Ariel Bonneau Rodriguez co-presented a poster entitled Embodied Choreo-graphing of the Polar Coordinate System (faculty mentor: Dr. Steven Greenstein).

Doctoral candidate Amanda Provost, and doctoral students Ariel Bonneau Rodriguez, Michael Frimpong, and Toheeb Olatunji presented a poster entitled Multiplicative Reasoning Through Dynamic Measurement (faculty mentor: Dr. Nicole Panorkou).

We are so proud of you all!

Montclair State University’s Department of Mathematics recently welcomed admitted students to campus for two lively Admitted Students Days, held on April 12 and April 19. These events gave prospective math majors a chance to experience the department firsthand, connect with faculty, and hear directly from current students about what it’s like to study mathematics at Montclair.

Throughout the day, visitors explored campus, asked questions about coursework and opportunities, and engaged in conversations that highlighted the collaborative and supportive nature of the program. A special thank you goes to our dedicated student ambassadors, Coda Mearizo, Lauren Khalil, Annabella Ganun, and Preston Pietruszewski, who helped make the experience both informative and welcoming.

We had a great time meeting our future Red Hawks and look forward to seeing many of them on campus this fall!