Paola Sztajn is Dean of the College of Education at North Carolina State University, where she previously served as Interim Associate Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Policies, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the College of Education, and head of the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences. She joined NC State in 2008 to launch an innovative STEM-focused undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program, leading its mathematics education component at the time.

Prior to joining NC State, Paola was a program officer at National Science Foundation, working with programs across the nation that focused on mathematics teacher preparation and professional development. She has served as a member of the editorial board for the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, chair for the Special Interest Group-Research in Mathematics Education from the American Educational Research Association, and Vice President for the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. Paola’s publications have appeared in journals such as Journal of Teacher Education, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, American Educational Research Journal, Educational Researcher, Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Teaching Children Mathematics. She authored chapters for different handbooks in mathematics education, an edited book with Teachers College Press and an authored book for K-5 mathematics teachers with Corwin Press called Activating Math Talk.

Paola first came to the United States on a scholarship from the Brazilian government to get her PhD in mathematics education. At that time, few mathematics education programs existed in Brazil. As part of the agreement with the Brazilian funding agency, Paola returned to Brazil to teach at Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, where she helped launch an innovative PhD program in mathematics education. Paola returned to the United States in 2000 to become an academic and expand her research opportunities. Since then, Paola has dedicated her time to work with elementary school teachers and strengthen early mathematics learning for all students.

As a professor of mathematics education, her research program focuses on elementary teachers’ knowledge and professional development in mathematics. Preparing mathematics teachers, teaching mathematics and researching those who teach mathematics are Paola’s core areas of contribution to the mathematical sciences. Starting as a physics major, Paola sought to explain the world around her using her mathematical tools. She then shifted the focus of her curiosity and devoted her professional career to understanding mathematics teaching and learning. The overarching questions that have guided Paola’s work can be summarized as: why do teachers do what they do, the way they do it, when they do it? As well as: how do we support mathematics teachers’ learning and professional growth?

Paola strongly believes that a solid preparation in mathematics during the early grades is key for participation in our current world. This preparation opens doors to all students and provides a larger pool of qualified candidates for STEM careers.

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“Hispanic Heritage means honoring being Latina and celebrating the Brazilian culture in which I grew up. Care, community and being part of the ‘village’ are central components of that heritage for me.”

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