She received her Ph.D. in mathematics education from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 2002. She teaches courses ranging from mathematics courses for non-mathematics majors to doctoral-level courses for the Ed.D. program in mathematics pedagogy. Previous to MSU, Mika taught middle and high school mathematics for nine years. She draws heavily upon those experiences in both her teaching and research. Her research interests focus on students’ mathematical thinking, especially as it pertains to estimation and problem-solving tasks. Currently, she is co-director of the five-year National Science Foundation’s GK12 Fellows in the Middle program at MSU. The program trains science and mathematics graduate students to work with teachers to infuse the middle school curriculum with research-based and inquiry-driven mathematics and science. Teaching Fellow: Professor Kirk McDermid