Camp Staff

Ashley Ahlin, Camp Director, is the K-12 Outreach Coordinator for the MSU Mathematics Department. She earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Chicago, and has taught at the University of Chicago, the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, Vanderbilt University, and online for the Davidson Institute and the Art of Problem Solving.  She has been running the MSU Play Math Camps since they begin in 2013

 

Lisa Armstrong, Camp Instructor, Zero to Infinity, has worked as an elementary school educator in the East Lansing Public Schools for the past 18 years.  She has taught first and third grades and is currently serving as an Instructional Coach.  She has been teaching Math Camp for the MSU Math Outreach Department since we began in 2013.  Lisa is passionate about instilling an interest in mathematics in young children and planting in them the seeds of curiosity for further math study.  She welcomes the opportunity to expose children to mathematical concepts and activities that they may not experience in a traditional elementary classroom environment.

Karen Bonnell, Camp Instructor, Math Explorers, worked as a teacher and tutor in Illinois, Ohio, Kenya, and Michigan after earning a BA in Elementary Education from Wheaton College, IL. This is her seventh year teaching MSU Math Camps. She loves exploring mathematics with the youngest campers by investigating number sense, parity, and so much more, giving them a foundation of mathematics for a lifetime. Currently she is a freelance editor and lives with her husband and teenagers in East Lansing.

 

Julie Haskell, Camp Instructor, Geometry, earned her BA in Elementary Education and a ZA endorsement in Early Childhood Education from Western Michigan University. She has been teaching lower elementary students for more than a decade, and currently teaches in East Lansing Public Schools. She is passionate about teaching mathematics in a fun, hands-on way that brings enthusiasm and energy into learning. She strives to provide children with opportunities to participate in rich conversations about mathematical concepts, even with our youngest math learners. She is excited to help provide a unique and intriguing summer experience that will motivate children to “play” with math and participate in rich discussions about their discoveries.

 

Miguel R. Mejía has worked as a teacher in Colombia for almost 10 years. He has taught mathematics and physics to kids from elementary, middle, and high school. Miguel is a current student in the Ph.D. program in Mathematics Education at MSU. He loves to explore the connections between mathematics and different fields, trying to understand the applications of mathematics and statistics in life. In this camp Miguel wants to approach the mathematics hidden in beautiful shapes, bringing geometry and arts.  He is a passionate teacher and he is eager to work to make learning mathematics an amazing adventure.