Ksenija Simic-Muller

Coordinator of Peace Scholars Program

she/her/hers

Ksenija Simic-Muller

Phone: 253-535-7034

Email: simicmka@plu.edu

Office Location: Morken Center for Learning & Technology - 253

  • Professional
  • Biography

Additional Titles/Roles

  • Professor of Mathematics
  • Chair of Mathematics
  • Director of the STEM Education Minor

Education

  • Ph.D., Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University, 2004
  • M.S., Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University, 2000
  • Undergraduate, Theoretical Mathematics, University of Belgrade, 1997

Areas of Emphasis or Expertise

  • Logic
  • Mathematics Education
  • Math and Social Justice

Books

  • Reflecting the World: A Guide to Incorporating Equity in Mathematics Teacher Education co-authored with Mathew D. Felton-Koestler and José María Menéndez (Information Age Publishing, Inc. 2017) : View Book

Selected Presentations

  • Weiland, T., & Simic-Muller, K, Data and discipline: Investigating systemic racism in schools. Math for America single session workshop for New York City teachers, Virtual (2024, February)
  • Simic-Muller, K, Racial disparities in Washington State school discipline. Convening 2024: Journey Towards Liberation, University of Washington (2024, February)

Selected Articles

  • Simic-Muller, K. "Noticing and Wondering to Rehumanize Mathematics Classrooms." PRIMUS Vol. DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2022.2073624, 2022:
  • Fairbairn L., Jackson, K., & Simic-Muller, K. "Making art in math class during the pandemic. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics." Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Vol. 11, 2021:
  • Simic-Muller, K. "There are different ways you can be good at math”: Quantitative literacy, mathematical modeling, and reading the world." PRIMUS Vol. 29, 2019: 259-280.
  • Simic-Muller, K. "Motherhood and teaching: Radical care." Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Vol. 8, 2019: 188-198.

Accolades

  • 2023 Pacific Northwest Section of the MAA Distinguished Teaching Award
  • 2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant to support "Building Capacity to Prepare STEM Majors to Become STEM Educators"
  • 2017 PLU Faculty Excellence Award in Mentoring
  • 2017 PLU David T. Alger Service Award

Biography

Why do you serve on the Peace Scholars Committee? 

I was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia (Former Yugoslavia), and have had first-hand experience with the effects of war and conflict.  I teach in the Mathematics Department and have a particular interest in issues of equity and social justice in mathematics education. My personal experiences and professional interests are closely linked to the pursuit of peace and justice, and I am appreciative of the opportunity to serve on the Nobel Peace Prize Forum Committee.

 

Professional information

Ksenija Simić-Muller received her undergraduate degree in Theoretical Mathematics at the University of Belgrade in Serbia (former Yugoslavia), and her masters and doctoral degrees from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Her doctorate was in Pure and Applied Logic. She then had a teaching postdoctoral position at the University of Arizona, where she retrained as a mathematics educator while working for the Center for the Mathematics Education of Latinos/as. Her current research interests are in the areas of culturally relevant mathematics teaching, teaching mathematics for social justice, and equity in mathematics education in general, especially as they pertain to teacher education.