Nathan Alexander

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Faculty

Assistant Professor

nathan.alexander@howard.edu

http://linktr.ee/QuantHistories

Department/Office

Curriculum and Instruction

School/College

School of Education
Graduate School

Additional Positions

Assistant Graduate Director

Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics

Biography

Nathan Alexander, PhD, is an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in the Howard University School of Education and he holds a joint appointment in the Howard University Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics (CADSA). His research focuses on the history and development of quantitative practices and mathematical literacy, as well as an analysis of computational studies in education. He also examines the role of context in probability theory, statistical data analysis, and mathematical education. He is the founder and faculty director of the Quantitative Histories Workshop, a computational curriculum collective and community-centered teaching and learning lab.

Education

PhD, Mathematics and Education
Columbia University

MAT, Mathematics
New York University

BA, Mathematics and Sociology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Expertise

Probability, statistics and data science education

Quantitative historical studies

Undergraduate and k-12 mathematics education

Academics

DATA 202: Statistically Measuring and Modeling Social Justice

EDUC 315: Principles of Teaching Mathematics & Science II

EDUC 480: International Internship and Special Topics Seminar

DATA 410: Independent Study

Research

Funding

STEM Research Initiative for Diversity and Equity (STRIDES). Pilot Study: Designing Radical and Equitable Approaches with Mathematics Educators, Researchers, and Students. Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) with Blake O’Neal Turner (PI), Candace Kyles (Co-PI), Rolonda Payne (Co-PI), David Wallace (Co-PI), Darnell Leatherwood (Co-PI), and Malik Henfield (Co-PI). Marquette University, 2025-2026. (Funded, $10,000)

Public Interest Technology Network. Integrating Community Knowledge and Equity into Integrated Administrative Data Systems for Research and Education in Data Science for Social Impact. Subaward with Francisca Garcia-Cobian (PI) and Patty Dare (Co-PI). University Network, 2025-2026. (Funded, $10,000)

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Open Source Workshops and Lesson Development for Faculty and Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Principal Investigator (PI) with Hye Ryeon Jang (Co-PI) and Kari Jordan (Co-PI). Open Source Software Development, 2023-2025. (Funded, $249,705)

New Ventures Fund. Development of Community-based Experiential Learning Programs in Data Science. Principal Investigator (PI), Data.org Capacity Accelerator Network. 2022-2023. (Funded, $115,000)

Microsoft Corporation. Summer Research Experience in Data Science and Critical Mathematics (DSCM). Principal Investigator (PI), 2022-2024. (Funded, $47,000)

AUC Data Science Initiative. Initial Development of a Problem-based Active Learning Framework for Data Science. Principal Investigator (PI), Summer Research Grant. 2022. (Funded, $3,000)

Associated Colleges of the South (ACS). Teaching Social Justice Mathematics. Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) with Dr. Viveka Borum (PI) and Dr. Zeynep Teymuroglu (Co-PI). Diversity & Inclusion Faculty Grant, 2019-2020. (Funded, $27,765)

California State Board of Education. Development & Implementation of 4-Year Integrated Programs Leading to the Baccalaureate Degree in Mathematics & Teaching Credential. Co-Principal Investigator (Co- PI) with Dr. Michael Rozendal (PI), Mary Labiak-Coen (Co-PI), & Melissa Hope (Co-PI). Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2017-2018. (Funded, $248,899)

Accomplishments

2024-2025 IES IMMERSE Fellow

2025-2028 MAA-NAM Section Lecturer

Published Articles and Presentations

[Open source] Alexander, N. N. (2025). Introduction to mapping and spatial analysis using tidycensus. R software code.

[Open source] Alexander, N. N. (2025). Evaluating Social Vulnerability in Census Community Resilience Estimates. R software code.

[Open source] Alexander N. N. (2024). Combined U.S. states and global incarceration rates. R software code.

[Open source] Alexander N. N. (2024). Police Response Time (PRT) in Dallas, TX. R software code.

Alexander, N. N., Appling, T., Banuelos, M., Bello, G., Brown, A., Century, J., Connor, K., Ji, H., Levy, R., Mitchell, P., Mongeau, D., Mysliwiec, M., Niu, J., Paykin, S., Quarkume, A., Schiffman, J., Skinner, L., Uminsky, D. & Zhong, P. (2024). Data Science for Social Impact in Higher Education: First Steps. Data.org Playbook. Available online.

Ballenger, H. J., Washington, T., Clark, R., Lockhart, J. W., Adebowale, J., Hearn, D., Dotson, E., Gaines, J., Bennett, V., Teodorescu, D., Alexander, N. N., Gilbert, N., Lamar, T., Morris, M., Neely, A., Borum, V., Ellis, V., & Johnson, K. (December 2023). Atlanta University Center Data Science Initiative - Data Science for K-12 Listening Session Report. Available at SSRN.

Jones, Q., Vindas Meléndez, A. R., Mendible, A., Aminian, M., Brooks, H. Z., Alexander, N. N., Diaz Eaton, C., Chodrow, P. (2023). Data science and social justice in the mathematics community. Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 70(9), 1479-1489.

Voigt, M., Hagman, J. E., Gehrtz, J., Ratliff, B., Alexander, N. N., & Levy, R. (Eds.) (2023). Justice through the lens of calculus: Framing new possibilities for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Press.

Alexander, N. N., Ratliff, B., Levy, R., Voigt, M., Hagman, J. E., Gehrtz, J. (2023). Cross-cutting inquiries: Moving Towards a Systems-critical Practice. In M. Voigt, J. E. Hagman, J. Gehrtz, B. Ratliff, N. N. Alexander, & R. Levy (Eds.). Justice through the lens of calculus: Framing new possibilities for diversity, equity, and inclusion. MAA Notes Volume.

Alexander N. N., Diaz Eaton C., Shrout A. H., Tsinnajinnie B., Tsosie K. (2022). Beyond ethics: Considerations for centering equity-minded data science. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 12(2), 254–300.

Alexander, N. N. (2022). A Legacy of Literacy: Mathematics Teachers and the Quests for Racial Justice. In D. C. Hucks, Y. S. Ruiz, V. Showunmi, S. C. Carothers, & C. W. Lewis (Eds.), Purposeful Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contexts: Implications for Access, Equity and Achievement (pp. 3-23). Charlotte: IAP.

Alexander, N. N. (2022). [Exercises on the Quantification of Racial Injustices in the U.S.]. In W. K. Bell & K. Schatz (Eds.), Do the Work!: An Antiracist Activity Book. New York: Workman Publishing.

Alexander, N. N. (2019). Critical Race Theory and Afrofuturism in Mathematics Education. In J. Davis & C. C. Jett (Eds.), Critical Race Theory in Mathematics Education (pp. 56-74). New York: Routledge.

Alexander, N. N., Teymuroglu, Z., & Yerger, C. R. (2019). Critical Conversations on Social Justice in Undergraduate Mathematics. PRIMUS: Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies, 29(4), 396-419.

Adiredja, A., Alexander, N. N., & Andrews-Larson, C. (2015). Conceptualizing Equity in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. In T. Fukawa-Connelly, G. Karakok, K. Keene, and M. Zandieh (Eds.), Proceedings of the 18th Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 18(1), 60-73. Pittsburgh, PA.

Leong, K., & Alexander, N. N. (2014). College Students’ Attitude and Mathematics Achievement using Web-based Homework. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 10(6), 609-615.

Alexander, N. N. (2013). Choosing a College. In H. Gould, D. Murray, & A. Sanfratello (Eds.), Mathematical Modeling Handbook: Volume 1 (p. 34-48). Bedford, MA: Consortium for Mathematics & its Applications (CoMAP).

Alexander, N. N. (2013). Gender Inequality: Mathematics. In J. Ainsworth (Ed.), Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide, SAGE: London, UK.

Gholson, M., Bullock, E., & Alexander, N. N. (2012). On the Brilliance of Black Children: A Response to a Clarion Call (Editorial). Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, 5(2), pp. 1-8.

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