COME-IN
Creating Opportunities in Mathematics through Equity & Inclusion
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
TPSE Math was awarded an NSF INCLUDES grant to expand the COME-IN RESOURCES to support a 2-year project that trains mathematicians and statisticians and supports departments in participation initiatives.
OVERVIEW
This 2-year NSF-funded DEI pilot program will test the viability of COME-IN Resources (see below) in small departmental teams. With guidance of DEI experts, 6 participants are training as DEI consultants, and have been paired with 6 departmental teams to plan and execute a DEI activity or project in the participating department. This program consists of four connected components:
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Building a foundation to improve broadening participation and inclusion efforts in departments
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Training consultants
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Establishing a network of invested institutions
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Evaluating efficacy
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CONSULTANTS
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Attend the summer training workshop Brigham Young University, Provo, UT (May 28 -June 1)
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Participate in bi-monthly virtual meetings with department teams and DEI experts for training
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Help departments collect & analyze their institutional/department data and practices, formulate an implementation plan. TPSE leadership can help determine the feasibility of the project.
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Plan for an in person visit to your paired department in year one and two.
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Guide departments through plan implementation
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Financial support & honoraria provided
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DEPARTMENTS​
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Attend the summer training workshop Brigham Young University, Provo, UT (May 28 -June 1)
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Participate in bi-monthly virtual meetings with consultants and DEI experts for training
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With the help of the designated consultant, analyze your institutional/department data and practices, formulate an implementation plan. TPSE leadership can help determine the feasibility of the project.
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Plan for visit from consultant trainee in year one and two. Plan for visit from senior evaluator in year two.
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Financial support & honoraria provided
YEAR ONE: Department teams will work with consultants to analyze their institution's data and brainstorm possible DEI improvement projects.​
YEAR TWO: Utilizing COME-IN Resources, department and consultant teams will focus on refining and implementing the project.
Consultants
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Kadian Callahan
Kennesaw State University
Consultant
Dr. Kadian M. Callahan is Associate Dean for Student Success and Community Engagement in the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) and Professor of Mathematics Education at Kennesaw State University (KSU). She earned a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences/Minor in Computer Information Systems from Florida A&M University - Tallahassee in 1998. Her M.S. degree is in Secondary Mathematics Education from Indiana University - Bloomington (2002), and her Ph.D. degree is in Mathematics Education: Higher Education, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland - College Park (2006).
Dr. Callahan collaborates with faculty and administrators at KSU and across higher educational institutions to promote continuous improvement of undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Her research examines strategies for improving teaching and learning in science and mathematics courses and programs and analyzing STEM institutional change efforts to transform teaching, learning, and the student experience. She has led mathematics departmental change efforts and serves as a change consultant for institutions seeking to improve introductory mathematics. ​
Paired with Eastern Michigan University
Rachelle DeCoste
Wheaton College
Consultant
Rachelle DeCoste is a Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the United States Military Academy at West Point. She previously was a Professor in the Math Department at Wheaton College (MA). She studies geometry, specifically looking at properties of nilmanifolds arising from 2-step nilpotent Lie groups. Rachelle has been committed to issues of inclusion and diversity in math (and more broadly STEM) for her entire career. She was a participant, and later a mentor and instructor, for the EDGE Program; she founded the Career Mentoring Workshop for Women in Math; she co-founded the Women in STEM Summit at Wheaton College; and she was a member of the leadership team for Wheaton's HHMI Inclusive Excellence $1million grant.​
Paired with Carthage College
Nicole Infante
University of Nebraska, Omaha
Consultant
Dr. Nicole Infante is a Professor and the Director of Quantitative Reasoning (QR) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her research centers on undergraduate mathematics education with a focus on how communication, embodied cognition, and alternative assessment practices influence student learning. Dr. Infante has leveraged her expertise to transform the general education/first-year mathematics course at UNO into spaces where students feel welcome and collaboratively develop critical reasoning and problem-solving skills. The QR team has been working on the curriculum to ensure that materials are accessible and inclusive. As a result of the implementation of a College Algebra with Support course, more students are persisting on the path to calculus, particularly underrepresented students.​
Paired with University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Olaniyi Iyiola
Morgan State University
Consultant
Dr. Olaniyi Iyiola is an Associate Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics
at Morgan State University, MD. Before his tenure at Morgan, he held positions as an Assistant
Professor at Clarkson University in New York and California University of Pennsylvania (CalU),
now known as Pennsylvania Western University. During his time at CalU, he managed the Profes-
sional Science Master (PSM) program in Applied Mathematics and Data Science as the Program
Coordinator. Dr. Iyiola’s academic pursuits span various fields, including numerical analysis, com-
putational mathematics, data science, mathematical biology, and nonlinear operator theory. His
research focuses on developing innovative iterative methods for optimization problems that reflect
real-world complexities. He is also skilled in creating numerical algorithms for non-linear problems
with intricate domains, including equations that require extremely small step sizes for numerical
stability. In the realm of data science, Dr. Iyiola is proficient in multiple programming languages
and software tools, such as SAS/SQL, JMP, R, MATLAB, Mathematica, Maple, Python, and
Tableau. Since 2023, he has been recognized as an MGB-SIAM fellow (Mathematically Gifted &
Black). Since obtaining his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 2017, Dr. Iyiola has
supervised more than twelve students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, with a focus
on mentoring women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. This mentorship has
led to the publication of six collaborative research papers. As a trained DEI consultant through
TPSE (Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics) and COME-IN (Creating Op-
portunities in Mathematics through Equity and INclusion), Dr. Iyiola strives to foster a diverse
and inclusive learning environment. He aims to continue leading by example through outreach,
promoting international scientific communication, and engaging in programs that enhance repre-
sentation of underprivileged and minority groups in mathematical sciences. In Summer 2024, Dr.
Iyiola mentored two underrepresented undergraduate students through collaborative efforts with
the Payne Center for Social Justice, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund,
and Applied Research Institute for Mathematical and Computational Sciences.​
Paired with Queensborough Community College
Kevin Palencia Infante
Northern Illinois University
Consultant
Kevin A. Palencia Infante is an Assistant Professor and Calculus Coordinator at Northern Illinois University (NIU). He is a passionate advocate for underrepresented groups and is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) both inside and outside the classroom. His participation in this project as a DEI consultant is an opportunity to gain the expertise necessary to help departments and institutions develop strategies that foster inclusive and equitable teaching and learning environments. Kevin has participated in professional development programs focused on DEI, including the TPSE Leadership Institute, the Mathematical Association of America's (MAA) Project NExT, and the Association of College and University Educators' (ACUE) Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning course. He is eager to bring an external perspective, drawing on his experience and background, to support a department in the implementation of its plan.
Paired with University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Sarah Raynor
Wake Forest University
Consultant
Sarah Raynor is a professor of mathematics at Wake Forest University in central North Carolina. Sarah's research is in the analysis of partial differential equations, particularly elliptic and dispersive equations. Sarah has a Master's in Social Justice and, as past chair of her department, has fostered a number of DEI initiatives at Wake Forest. In her spare time, Sarah likes to knit, read, and play bridge.
Paired University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Department Leads
Lynn Bahena
Eastern Michigan University
Department Lead
Lynn Bahena is the Program Administrator for Math Pathways Support in the Eastern Michigan University Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Her areas of expertise include student support programs, developmental mathematics, and mathematics placement and advising. In addition to Lynn's work with the TPSE Math COME-IN Project, she is an active participant in the EMU Math & Stats DEI Bookclub and a leader in department DEI initiatives including The Inclusive STEM Teaching Project and the Diploma Equity Project.
Paired with Kadian Callahan
Sam Cook
University of Alaska, Anchorage
Department Lead
Sam Cook is Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of Alaska Anchorage. In addition to frequently teaching courses such as differential equations and complex analysis for more advanced students, he also introductory and developmental math courses such as intermediate algebra, technical mathematics, and the general audience course, the art of mathematics. He has an interest is inclusive teaching practices and broadening participation in mathematics. He is a member of UAA’s First Undergraduate STEM Experience (FUSE) team, which is a part of HHMI’s Inclusive Excellence 3 grant
Paired with Nicole Infante
Mercedes Franco
Queensborough Community College
Department Lead
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​Maria Mercedes Franco is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science
at Queensborough Community College (CUNY) and a member of the campus teams for the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center and the Achieving the Dream’s Accelerating Equitable Outcomes initiative. She has a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from Cornell University and a B.S. in Mathematics from Universidad del Valle (Colombia). At Queensborough, Mercedes Franco played instrumental roles in the institutionalization of Service-Learning and Undergraduate Research as high-impact practices, launching the research-in-the-classroom modality on campus, and establishing the UR program in her department. In 2014-2016, she served as founding campus director of the CUNY Research Scholars Program, a university-wide program that funds year-long, laboratory-based STEM research experiences for associate degree students. As department chair (2017-2020), Franco led the department’s work to eliminate non-credit bearing math courses, the first CUNY institution to meet this system-wide goal. As co-PI of the NSF-funded Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM) and the REU program MSRI-UP, she actively addresses issues of
underrepresentation in the mathematical sciences. Furthermore, as a trained Cultural Competence in Computing Fellow (inaugural cohort at Duke University), she contributes to the Alliance for Identity Inclusive Computing Education. Mercedes Franco has co-facilitated Math and Social Justice workshops for Project NExT and is the author of the book chapter “Examining Human Rights Issues through the Lens of Statistics,” that appeared in Mathematics for Social Justice: Focusing on Quantitative Reasoning and Statistics (MAA Press, 2021). In addition, she served as facilitator for Math Chairs/Leaders 4 Racial Justice groups (2020, 2022) and co-facilitator of DEI-focused communities of practice for NY/PA Campus Compact. Dr. Franco is a Life Member of SACNAS, NAM, and MAA, and a member of CUR and the Mathematics Advisory Group of TPSE Math.
Paired with Olaniyi Iyiola
Gabriella Pinter
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Department Lead
I am a professor in the department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. My specialty is applied mathematics, in particular, differential equations. I have a passion for teaching and helping students navigate their academic life. I served as Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies for seven years and helped run an undergraduate research program in mathematics and biology for 10 years. I am active in organizing Math Circles and family math nights for students and their families. I enjoy puzzles, board games and problem solving and I’m a member of an online community that meets weekly to discuss interesting math problems.​
Paired with Kevin Palencia Infante
Haley Yaple
Carthage College
Department Lead
As an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Mathematics department at Carthage College, my main focus is teaching undergraduate mathematics. You'll find me teaching math courses aimed at physics students (like differential equations), math courses aimed at math students (like discrete structures), and math courses aimed at a general audience (like quantitative social justice, a course I designed and now teach). My research background as an applied mathematician has led to student projects spanning a variety of areas, including applied dynamical systems, network science, and mathematical modeling. In addition to my roles as instructor and advisor, I've become more and more involved in initiatives relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including a research project in collaboration with other Carthage math faculty and students redesigning elementary statistics around a social justice theme and a cross-institutional effort called Moon Shot for Equity that aims to reform policies and procedures at higher ed institutions.
Paired Rachelle DeCoste
Alex Zupan
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Alex Zupan is an associate professor and the undergraduate chair of the Mathematics Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research is in geometry and topology, and he has mentored many undergraduate projects in knot theory, including groups involved in the Polymath Jr. Massive Open Online REU from 2021 to present. During AY 2021-2022, he was selected as a UNL Faculty Fellow for Student Success. Finally, he has co-chaired the organizing committee for the long-running Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics since 2020, and he has been involved in the organization of the conference since 2015.
Paired with Sarah Raynor
RESOURCES
Tools for assessing and Improving Participation & Inclusion in the Mathematical & Statistical Sciences
Helps programs conduct a holistic self-assessment of its policies, practices, and outcomes related to participation and inclusion.
Provides guidelines for collecting and interpreting data in a way that is adaptable to a broad range of programs.
Equips programs to engage in a deep-dive strategic planning process
LEADERSHIP
MATH JEDI COMMUNITY
The Math JEDI (justice, equity, diversity & inclusion) Community is a space where dedicated JEDIs can share successes and challenges, ask others for ideas, and form a community to keep this work alive and support our mutual accountability. The Math Jedi Community (MJC) Slack Channel will host conversations, speakers, and other events.
Participate in the Math JEDI Community Slack Channel today. We would love to learn about your goals, efforts, and other experiences from the field to move our collective efforts forward.
This material is based upon work supported by the U. S. National Science Foundation under Award No. #2304106. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.