Gladis Kersaint

Dr. Gladis Kersaint is the vice provost of academic affairs at the University of Connecticut. Most recently, she served as dean and professor of mathematics education at UConn’s Neag School of Education from 2016 to 2021. Under her leadership, the Neag School made significant strides in many areas, including maintaining its rank as a top 20 public graduate school of education for five consecutive years; raising more than $10 million in gifts to support student scholarships and programs; diversifying the School’s faculty, staff, and students; and advancing public engagement efforts with the Alliance School Districts, the 33 highest-need, most diverse school districts in Connecticut.

Prior to that, Kersaint was the associate dean of academic affairs and research for the College of Education at the University of South Florida (USF) since 2011. There, she had also been a professor of mathematics education since 1998, the director of the David C. Anchin Center, and the David C. Anchin Endowed Chair in Education Innovation. The Center promotes alliances and leverages resources to facilitate partnership efforts that support innovation and the advancement of teaching. From 2006 to 2010, she served as coordinator of USF Undergraduate Education and chair of the General Education Council, a role with university-wide reach.

Kersaint is a well-respected scholar in mathematics education with an extensive publication and national service record. She has published four books and numerous refereed journal articles related to factors that influence mathematics teacher education and effective mathematics teaching, the mathematical teaching and learning of at-risk students, and the use of technology in teaching and learning mathematics. During her tenure at USF, she served as the principal or co-principal investigator of approximately $30 million of National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and Florida Department of Education grants.

She has led a number of collaborative STEM education projects involving school district personnel as well as university faculty in the arts and sciences and in engineering. She has also provided service at the national level, including having served as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the largest professional organization for mathematics educators, and the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. She currently serves on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)’s Board of Directors.

Prior to her time in academia, Kersaint taught high school mathematics for the Miami Dade County Public Schools, the fourth-largest public school district in the nation.

Kersaint graduated from the University of Miami with a BS and MS in mathematics. She earned her Ph.D. in mathematics education from Illinois State University. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.