James A. M. Álvarez

James A. Mendoza Álvarez leads STEM education initiatives for the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin as its Associate Dean for P-20 Education Initiatives. A professor of mathematics, he previously served also as a distinguished teaching professor of mathematics and graduate director of the master of arts in mathematics program for secondary mathematics teachers at the University of Texas at Arlington. An essential contributor to the development and enhancement of mathematics standards and assessments for students and teachers, he has led work with mathematics standards, especially in Texas, spanning over two decade. He has served as a program director with the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education's Directorate for STEM Education, as mathematician-in-residence for the Mathematical Association of America and as an expert reviewer and writer for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in mathematics. He also served on the College Board’s Advanced Placement Calculus Test Development Committee and was a writer for the Achieve’s American Diploma Project’s Secondary Mathematics Benchmarks 7-12. Dr. Álvarez is an advocate for increasing access to STEM by improving teacher preparation, facilitating professional development opportunities for teachers and promoting programs that enhance mathematical experiences at the K-12 and college level. 
 

Dr. Álvarez's research and professional interests lie in mathematics education with a focus on mathematical problem solving, mathematics-specific technology, increasing access to mathematics through improved preparation of mathematics teachers, program development, and curriculum development. He has received grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to support projects aimed at increasing teacher content knowledge in mathematics, increasing student retention in gateway courses such as calculus and precalculus, linking mathematics taught in the K-12 schools to research in mathematics and designing materials to support standards-based mathematics teacher preparation.