Paul Sally Lectures

		Renowned Math Professor Paul Sally to Visit UK

Teaching is important to Paul Sally. So much so, that Sally refuses to let anything hold him back, not even the diabetes-related loss of his legs and sight.

In an effort to promote what he feels is a need to improve mathematics education across the country, Sally, a professor of mathematics at the University of Chicago, will visit the University of Kentucky for a pair of lectures on April 17 and 18.

On Thursday, April 17, at 4 p.m. in the Taylor Education Building Auditorium, Sally will speak to College of Education students, faculty and teachers about new approaches to teaching mathematics in K-12 classrooms. The next day, he will address the UK Department of Mathematics as part of their colloquium series.

“Dr Sally’s deep and penetrating insights into research mathematics and the world of K-12 mathematics, combined with his love of the subject, has changed the way in which we, our children and our grandchildren think about mathematics,” said Richard Millman, interim chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and professor of mathematics education at the UK College of Education. “For example, he is the intellectual force behind the widely used series ‘Everyday Mathematics,’ which is used at a number of elementary schools in Fayette County.”

Sally has long been an advocate for upgrading mathematics education in elementary and secondary schools throughout the United States. He was the first director of the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP), which was founded in 1983. The UCSMP developed “Everyday Mathematics” to provide a comprehensive curriculum for K-12 mathematics education. According to the UCSMP Web site, over 175,000 classrooms and 2.8 million students are using the program.

Sally’s mission does not focus on just teaching math to students. He strives to improve how math is taught to students. In 1991, he founded Seminars for Elementary Specialists and Mathematics Educators (SESAME). This program helps Illinois mathematics and science instructors gain state endorsement. His visit to UK continues his mission of teacher education.

Sally earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College in 1954 and 1956, respectively. In 1965, he received his doctorate from Brandeis University and began his career at the University of Chicago the same year.