College Readiness in Math Symposium

Lisa Hennessey

UW-Madison School of Education Curriculum and Instruction Teaching Faculty II

Lisa has determined that her purpose in life is to ensure that every person is seen and valued as mathematical by their teachers, peers, family, community, and self. Lisa’s roles in education have included high school mathematics teacher, College Preparatory Mathematics teacher leader, 4K-12 district-wide mathematics coordinator, summer school principal (both elementary and high school), and teaching faculty for a secondary mathematics education program. Beyond her breadth of positions, Lisa earned her BS in Secondary Mathematics Education and her MS in Educational Leadership both from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been trained in Student-Centered Coaching, AVID, CPM, Carnegie, Bridges, Illustrative Mathematics, AVMR Courses 1, 2, and Fractions, Adaptive Schools, and Beyond Diversity. She served on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Mathematics Council, most recently as the President, and will begin her term on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics this October.

Jennifer Lawler

Coordinator of Secondary Math & Science, Kenosha Unified School District

Jennifer Lawler has more than two decades of experience as a mathematics educator.  Before assuming her current role, she was a high school mathematics teacher and an instructional coach.  A frequent speaker at state and local conferences, her passion lies in ensuring that all students experience the wonder, joy and beauty of mathematics as part of a math education that provides them the skills for the professional opportunities they choose to pursue and to understand and critique the world as responsible 21st Century citizens. Jennifer is President Elect of the Wisconsin Mathematics Council (WMC), and co-facilitates the Wisconsin Mathematics Leadership Council. She is also part of the Wisconsin Launch Years Initiative State Leadership Team and a Board Member of Wisconsin Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.  Jennifer is an alumna of the University of Wisconsin – Madison (BS ’01, MS ’06) and enjoys spending fall Saturdays cheering for the Badgers at Camp Randall with her husband and children.

Dr. Dave Kung

Executive Director of Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics

Dr. Dave Kung has worked in the intersection of mathematics and equity his entire career. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE-Math). Prior to that, he served as the Director of Policy at the UT Dana Center, leading the Launch Years Initiative that works with state teams to modernize math options for students across the high school / higher ed transition. He has directed MAA Project NExT, served as a professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, authored a variety of articles and books, produced two Great Courses lecture series, and won the MAA’s highest award in college math teaching. He resides in the DC, coaching local high school teachers, as well as playing violin and running–never simultaneously.

Jessie Sloan 

Consultant – CTE Data Education | Office of Strategic Initiatives Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

For 20 years Jessie Sloan has worked as a High School Counselor, CESA Pupil Services Consultant, and DPI CTE Data Consultant. Currently, she supports the Perkins V grant and work with statewide CTE data. This allows her to work directly with school districts and understand course data involved in career pathways.

Mary Mooney

Mathematics Consultant – Department of Public Instruction

Mary Mooney is a Mathematics Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, where she partners with districts, post-secondary institutions, and professional organizations to strengthen mathematics instruction and assessment across the state. Her work focuses on fostering high-quality teaching practices, promoting equitable learning opportunities, and supporting educators in aligning instruction with state standards. Mary brings more than two decades of experience to this role, having served the Milwaukee Public Schools for 20 years in multiple capacities, including high school mathematics teacher, University Teacher-in-Residence, and Mathematics Teaching Specialist. In each position, she worked to inspire students’ curiosity, develop educators’ instructional skills, and champion a vision of mathematics as both accessible and empowering.

Passionate about collaboration and continuous learning, Mary is dedicated to building strong professional communities that help educators and students thrive in the ever-evolving world of mathematics education.

Kevin McLeod

Mathematical Sciences – General University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

Kevin McLeod earned his PhD in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 1984, and has been at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) since 1987. His formal work in mathematics education began when he was a Co-PI on the NSF-funded Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership grant—a fruitful collaboration between UWM, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC ). He has subsequently been PI or Co-PI on several professional development projects. He has served as a board member for the Wisconsin Mathematics Council and was the UWM representative on the UW System Math Steering Committee, finishing as one of 2 co-chairs. For the last 3 years, he has been working on a joint UWM/MPS initiative that offers a cohort of MPS teachers the opportunity to earn graduate credits in mathematics, thus qualifying them to teach dual-enrolment courses.