Trena Wilkerson

Trena Wilkerson is President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), an international mathematics education organization with more than 30,000 members. She is also a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education at Baylor University. There she teaches both graduate and undergraduate mathematics education courses and conducts professional development and research. She previously was on the faculty of Louisana State University and taught high school mathematics in Louisiana for 18 years.

Wilkerson received the Award for Excellence in Integrating Science and Mathematics from the School Science Mathematics Association (SSMA) for her role as Director of the GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Math Initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. GEAR UP prepared students for higher education beginning in middle school.

In 2018 she received the Association of Mathematics Teacher Education-Texas (AMTE-TX) Outstanding Service Award for significant contributions to the field of mathematics teacher education. In 2016 she received the Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics E. Glenadine Gibb Achievement Award for her contribution to the improvement of mathematics education at the state and national levels. She has also served on the Association of Mathematics Teachers Educators Board of Directors and in leadership roles in state and local mathematics education professional organizations.

Trena Wilkerson’s research interests include mathematics education, teacher education, algebra teacher efficacy, teaching and learning of mathematics, and professional development. She has studied the effect of professional development on mathematics teachers and their students through lesson study. She has published extensively in several NCTM journals, including Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School (MTMS), Mathematics Teacher, Teaching Children Mathematics, and Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. She chaired the MTMS Editorial Panel and previously served a three-year term on the NCTM Board of Directors from 2014–17.

Trena Wilkerson received her Ph.D. in 1994 from the University of Southern Mississippi in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on mathematics. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Mississippi College and a Master of Education in mathematics education from Southeastern Louisiana University.