Dean Grant Jensen of the College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences is pleased to announce that BYU has appointed Dawn Teuscher as chair of the Department of Mathematics Education starting July 1, 2026. Teuscher will replace Dr. Keith Leatham, who has served as department chair since 2020.
“I’m pleased to announce that Dawn Teuscher will be the next chair of the Department of Mathematics Education,” said Jensen. “She is a dedicated faculty member who loves the work of the department: preparing fantastic math teachers. She has excelled in teaching, scholarship, and her service to the university for years.”
Teuscher is known for her work in mathematics education and teacher preparation, particularly involving student mathematical thinking and curricular reasoning. Her research currently focuses on developing formative assessment tools to measure teachers' curricular reasoning, analyzing the mathematical understanding of college algebra students as a prerequisite for calculus, and studying the impact of video use with pre-service teachers.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University before earning a M.S. from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. from University of Missouri-Columbia.
Teuscher served as Associate Chair of the BYU Department of Mathematics Education from 2019-2025, and her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation. Teuscher was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from University of Missouri, College of Education & Human Development in 2025.
Amid the transition, Dean Jensen highlighted the exemplary leadership and commitment of outgoing chair, Keith Leatham. “Keith has been a fantastic leader and has had a major contribution to the success of the department,” said Jensen. “We thank him for all he has done for the students and faculty over the past six years.”
BYU’s Department of Mathematics Education is known for its exceptional program and the way it prepares BYU students to be math teachers. “I’m convinced the department is already the Everest of Math Education, and I’m excited to see how the department continues to lead in future years,” said Jensen. As concluded in their recent unit review, “BYU’s program in Math Ed is exemplary within national mathematics education.” The department was also recognized as “a national leader in mathematics teacher preparation and a model of BYU’s distinctive dual heritage educational vision.”