Sharon Vestal
Associate Professor/Coordinator
Biography
Dr. Vestal grew up on a farm in Hand County, South Dakota, and is the youngest of 10 children. She feels fortunate that she could return to her home state and work with future math teachers. She is passionate about improving the teaching of mathematics for ALL students and continues to strive to be a better educator every day.
Education
- B.A. in mathematics/classical humanities | University of South Dakota | 1992
- M.A. in mathematics | University of South Dakota | 1994
- Ph.D. in mathematics | University of Colorado, Boulder | 2000
Academic and Professional Experience
Academic Interests
- Improving the teaching and learning of mathematics for ALL students.
- Utilizing technology appropriately in teaching mathematics.
- Researching and sharing information about the geometry for teachers course.
Academic Responsibilities
- Math 253 Logic, Sets and Proof
- Math 261 Geometry for Teachers
- Math 371 Technology for STEM Educators
- Math 433 Mathematics Education Capstone
- Math 434 Assessment in STEM Education
- Math 450 History of Math
Committees and Professional Memberships
Committees
- 2023-2024 Mathematics and Statistics Department Head Search Committee
- SD STEM Education Conference Planning Committee
- Intercollegiate Athletic Board, 2021-2023
- Open Educational Resources Committee, 2017-2022
Professional Memberships
- Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- South Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematic
Work Experience
- August 2009-present, associate professor, 葫芦影业
- August 2006-August 2009, assistant professor, 葫芦影业
- August 2005-May 2006, associate professor, Missouri Western State University
- August 2000-July 2005, assistant professor, Missouri Western State University
Research and Scholar Work
Areas of Research
- Mathematics education
- Student success
- Best teaching practices
Awards and Honors
- 2020, South Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics Friend of Mathematics Award
- 2019, Timothy J. Nichols Award Outstanding Undergraduate Academic Advising Award
Grants
- NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship Program Grant (DUE 1950255)
- NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship Program Grant (DUE 1439789)
- NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship Program Grant (DUE 0733691)
Publications
- O. Buchbinder, S. Vestal, and T. An, Lessons Learned using FullProof, a Digital Proof Platform, in a Geometry for Teachers Course, Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (2023), 163 - 171.
- P. White, M. Nepal, L. Browning, M. Miller, S. Vestal, and M. Lemke, Perceptions and Usages of Online Teaching Resources by South Dakota Science and Agriculture Teachers, EdArXiv (2020).
- S. Vestal, M. Miller, and L. Browning, Metacognition across the STEM Disciplines, chapter in Metacognition in Chemistry Education: Connecting Research and Practice ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society, 2017.
- S. Vestal, Calculus Lab, 1st Edition, WebAssign, 2015.
- S. Vestal, T. Brandenburger, and A. Furth. Improving Student Success in Calculus I using a Co-Requisite Calculus I Lab, PRIMUS: Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies, 25:4 (2015), 381-387.
- S. Vestal, The Future of STEM Education in South Dakota, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, July 5, 2013.
- S. Schaffer Vestal and E. Weber, Orthonormal Wavelets and Shift Invariant Generalized Multiresolution Analyses, Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society 131 (2003), 3089-3100.
- S. Schaffer and E. Weber, , arXiv (2000), DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.math/0002127.
Associated Areas
