Voyaging Toward Mathematical Unity Through Ethnomathematics: Faculty and Doctoral Students Address Research & Praxis

UH Mānoa College of Education (COE) Professor of Mathematics Education Linda Furuto was chosen by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) to deliver this year’s prestigious Einstein Public Lecture at the AMS Spring Western Sectional Meeting at Boise State University on March 7–8, 2026. The keynote speech, titled “Voyaging Toward Mathematical Unity Through Ethnomathematics”, provided insights about mathematics that can be drawn from the study of ethnomathematics and demonstrated research-based approaches to support equitable teaching and learning environments.

Furuto was accompanied by three PhD students from the COE and Department of Mathematics, *Phillippe Rivera Fernandez-Brennan, Joseph Manfre, and *Swarnalakshmi “Janani” Lakshmanan who presented their research in sessions during the conference, along with Michelle Manes, Deputy Director at the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM). All four are graduates of the COE Ethnomathematics Graduate Certificate.

Ethnomathematics research shared at the AMS Meeting focused on real-world problem-solving that empowers students to be locally-minded, global citizens through rigorous, relevant, and  contextualized mathematical tasks that.draw on their strengths and the strengths of their communities. For example, Fernandez-Brennan shared connections between a decolonization education framework and K–12 curriculum and pedagogical recommendations to ethnomathematics. Manfre’s presentation, Mathematics as a Noun versus a Verb: Implications of the Dichotomy’s Positionality in K-12 Education, explored the implications of what happens when the various stages of mathematics are positioned as nouns versus verbs within varied contextual environments while considering mathematics’ overall philosophical, psychological, and ecological purpose.Lakshmanan’s session addressed the impact of proof-based mathematics on female-identifying perceptions of place-based mathematics.

*Phillippe Rivera Fernandez-Brennan and Swarnalakshmi “Janani” Lakshmanan successfully completed their PhD programs and graduated in Spring 2027.