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A picture of Professor Alexander in a blue sweater in front of a white backdrop.
Faculty
Faculty

Nathan Alexander

Assistant Professor

nathan.alexander@howard.edu
https://linktr.ee/QuantHistories

Department/Office

  • Curriculum and Instruction

School/College

  • School of Education
  • Graduate School

Additional Positions

  • Joint Faculty Appointment
    Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics

Biography

Dr. Nathan Alexander explores the development of quantitative literacy in the contexts of Black history and futurity.

Nathan Alexander, PhD, is an assistant professor of data science and education. He holds a joint appointment in the Howard University School of Education and the Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics (CADSA). Dr. Alexander teaches courses in computational methods, curriculum & instruction, and applied statistics. His research explores the history and development of critical and justice-oriented practices in quantitative literacy development, especially in Black educational contexts. This work sits at the intersection of the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and the computational sciences, with a particular focus on Black history and futurity in national and global contexts, and notes on the future in relation to colonization and planetary-mass objects. He is also the founding director of the Quantitative Histories Workshop, a community-centered teaching and learning lab for students, faculty, youth, and community partners.

Education & Expertise

Education

PhD, Mathematics and Education
Columbia University

MAT, Mathematics
New York University

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

Expertise

Statistics and data science education

Quantitative historical studies

Undergraduate and k-12 mathematics education

Research

Research

Funding

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, 2023-2024. (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)

Related Articles

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

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. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Notes Volume.

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.