The COME-In Teams

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.

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. 

Dr. 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 Dr. Bahena's work with the COME-IN Project, she is an active participant in the EMU Math & Stats DEI Book Club and a leader in department DEI initiatives including The Inclusive STEM Teaching Project and the Diploma Equity Project.

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. is in Secondary Mathematics Education from Indiana University Bloomington (2002), and her PhD 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.

Dr. Alex Zupan is an associate professor and the undergraduate chair of the Mathematics Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). 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. 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. 

Dr. 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.   

Dr. Gabriella Pinter is a professor in the department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her specialty is applied mathematics, in particular, differential equations. She has a passion for teaching and helping students navigate their academic life. She served as Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies for seven years and helped run an undergraduate research program in mathematics and biology for 10 years. She organizes Math Circles and family math nights for students and their families. She enjoys puzzles, board games and problem solving and is a member of an online community that meets weekly to discuss interesting math problems.

Dr. 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. Dr. Palencia Infante 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 brings an external perspective, drawing on his experience and background, to support a department in the implementation of its plan.  

Dr. Haley Yaple is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Mathematics department at Carthage College. Her main focus is teaching undergraduate mathematics. You'll find her 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). Her 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 her roles as instructor and advisor, she has become increasingly 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. 

Dr. 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. She studies geometry, specifically looking at properties of nilmanifolds arising from 2-step nilpotent Lie groups. Dr. DeCoste 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 $1M grant.   

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 (UR) 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. 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.  

Dr. Olaniyi Iyiola is an Associate Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics at Morgan State University. Previously, 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 served as Program Coordinator for the Professional Science Master (PSM) program in Applied Mathematics and Data Science. Dr. Iyiola’s academic pursuits span various fields, including numerical analysis, computational 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. 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 COME-IN DEI consultant, 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.