Who We Are

Founding Director, Math Renaissance

Founding Co-Director, Phila. Area Joyful Math Collaborative

Rodi (She/Her) is an educator, author, and teacher trainer who has educated K-12 students in an inquiry-based approach for over twenty years. She received a B.S.in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and her M.S.Ed. from Cabrini University. While Rodi finds joy in almost everything, she finds exceptional joy in pedagogy, communication about mathematics and pedagogy, and mathematics (current favorite math topic: isomorphic problems). Rodi has a great passion for sitting on the floor with a group of students in a collaborative spirit of inquiry.

Rodi’s first call to action was in high school, when her hand was the only one raised in class but her teacher refused to call on her. Again and again. “C’mon boys,” he goaded the rest of the class, “You can’t let a girl show you up!” The first paper she wrote in grad school was on the effect of this (and other demeaning) experiences and how she would do things differently as a teacher in each of those cases. Rodi is now thrilled to be in a position to Do Things Differently in everything she does.

Rodi also works for The Princeton Review as a classroom instructor, master tutor, teacher trainer, test-anxiety coach, and content developer. She was a homeschooling facilitator for 15 years, a preschool Teacher/Director before that, and in the business world before that. A Philadelphia resident, she holds a Pennsylvania State Teaching Certificate.

Rodi loves to talk to anyone about math education, but when she is not doing that, she goes boogie boarding at the Jersey shore as often as she can.

Co-Director, Phila. Area Joyful Math Collaborative

Anne (She/Her), a dedicated educator and recipient of the 2021 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, taught grades 7-12 mathematics for 22 years. Anne’s expertise encompasses mathematics teaching, program and curriculum design, and professional development. Her passion is for fostering a deeper understanding of mathematics in her students and nurturing them as individuals with strong human capabilities, recognizing the importance of integrating their unique strengths and interests, especially as we learn to work collaboratively with artificial intelligence.

Inspired by her own experience conducting mathematics research through PROMYS for Teachers at Boston University, she began developing a curriculum in 2016 to enable teens to experience math the way mathematicians do and discover their own potential within the subject. This initiative culminated in the launch of a Mathematics/STEM Research & Writing Elective Program for high schoolers in 2019, announced at the Park City Mathematics Institute. At the request of Anne’s students, she expanded the elective program in 2021 to include a second-year curriculum and partnered with Girls’ Angle founder Ken Fan, PhD, to mentor five of them.

In 2023, she welcomed her first international student. Now, Anne is focused on connecting a wider range of students, educators, and schools with mathematics and science experts to foster the joy of mathematical discovery. Her recent workshop, “Awakening Mathematical Thinking Through Play,” was met with enthusiasm and requests for future offerings from both the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey (AMTNJ) and Math for America (MfA).

Anne’s commitment to expanding access to innovative math education extends beyond the classroom. She is dedicated to mentoring students in their own math research endeavors, designing and facilitating professional development experiences for educators, and creating and directing math camps. Currently, she is serving as Camp Director for Camp Conway, a new National Math Camps summer program for middle schoolers located at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA. Anne also works to build a larger network of like-minded leaders to bring innovative, student-centered, curiosity-driven math to more students, teachers, schools, and communities.

Anne holds an undergraduate degree in Applied Economics & Business Management from Cornell University and a Master’s in Mathematics for Teaching from Boston University.