Zandra de Araujo, PhD
Director & Research Scientist of Mathematics
352.273.4103 • zdearaujo@coe.ufl.edu
Zandra de Araujo serves as the Director of Mathematics at the Lastinger Center for Learning. Her research examines teachers’ instruction in algebra with students who are primarily English learners. She has been Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI on several grants funded by the National Science Foundation, and her work has been published in numerous top tier journals.
Zandra began her career as a high school math teacher for Orange County Public Schools. After earning her doctorate, she has served as a board member of prominent professional organizations including TODOS: Mathematics for All, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She has been an invited speaker at several math teacher organizations and has received numerous awards for her work including the University of Missouri’s 2019 President’s Award for Early Career Excellence and the 2020 Early Career Award for the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Florida, and her Master of Education in Mathematics Education from the University of Central Florida. In 2008, Zandra began her doctoral program in mathematics education at the University of Georgia. Upon completing her Ph.D. in 2012, she joined the faculty at the University of Missouri and was an associate professor of mathematics education there until joining the Lastinger Center in September 2021. Outside of work, Zandra enjoys gardening, walking, and spending time with her husband and two dogs.