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Mako Haruta

Mako Haruta headshot

Professor

Mathematics

College of Arts and Sciences
860.768.5261 D 220B www.makoharuta.com
Education

PhD, Boston University

MA, Boston University

AB, Smith College


Mako Haruta joined the College of Arts and Sciences in 1992. Her research background is in Dynamical Systems with a current focus on mathematics curriculum development. She is a member of the following organizations: American Mathematical Society (AMS), Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics, and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

My research background is in Dynamical Systems, and my current focus is on mathematics curriculum development. I’m very active in grant work focused on integrating educational technology, curriculum reform, and active learning into college mathematics courses, particularly precalculus and calculus, and have been PI and Co-PI on multiple major grants including several from the National Science Foundation. I particularly enjoy establishing collaborations and connections with colleagues across the country and internationally!

Supporting and Sustaining Scholarly Mathematics Teaching (S3MT)
National Science Foundation
Co-Principal Investigator

NSF:IUSE #1725952, with Larissa Schroeder (PI), and co-PIs Jean McGivney-Burelle, David Miller, Fei Xue 2017-2020.
More information.
Flipping Calculus

National Science Foundation
Co-Principal Investigator

NSF: DUE-TUES #1245059, with John Williams (PI), co-PIs Jean McGivney-Burelle, Larissa Schroeder, and Senior Personnel Ben Pollina, Fei Xue. National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (TUES) 2013-2015, Ext. Apr 2017.

“Collaborate and Innovate: One Department’s Perspective on Factors Supporting and Sustaining Pedagogical Change in Calculus I,”  with Schroeder, L.B., McGivney-Burelle, J., Haruta, M., & Xue, F. (2017). To appear, PRIMUS, 2017. 
Flipping Calculus Website  http://math.hartford.edu/flipping/ with J. Williams, L. Schroeder, J. McGivney-Burelle, B. Pollina, F. Xue. 2013.
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Changing Classroom Culture: Using Technology to Improve Engagement, Retention, and Success in Mathematics

University of Hartford
Co-Principal Investigator

Provost Technology Grant with co-PIs James McDonald, Jean McGivney-Burelle, Larissa Schroeder, John Williams. Creation of Flipped Classrooms renovated with café-style/flexible, collaborative seating, multiple projection units, Apple TV for use with classroom iPad sets, Apr 2012.

Institution-Wide Reform of Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology

National Science Foundation

Principal Investigator

NSF DUE: 9652161, with co-PI Catherine Stevenson. Cross-college faculty collaboration and teaching innovations, and conceptualization of the Faculty Center for Learning Development (FCLD), 1996-1998.

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Undergrad Research/Independent Study

I am collaborating with Dave Miller on the Calculus Solutions Group (CSG), a student research project. A collaborative team of first- and second-year students is generating detailed solutions for Calculus course materials, created during the NSF funded Flipped Calculus project, currently used in our flipped classrooms. Students are co-writing and co-editing solutions at team meetings, then asynchronously using LaTeX on Overleaf to publish.


Middle School Mathematics Project

Emulating the Mathematics Research Process with Elementary Students
An after-school program of weekly instruction for a group of ten mathematically gifted 5th graders, with a middle school teaching assistant, to provide an experience that emulated the mathematics research process. Student work evolved from problem-solving into problem posing. Over 5 months, the team collaboratively wrote, edited, and solved a set of six mathematics puzzle-problems, culminating in “Friday Math Group Presentation Day,” at the University of Hartford, providing the experience of an academic seminar on a college campus. Each child formally presented their problem and solution for an audience of over 45 people, completing their research experience from conception to dissemination.

  • University of Hartford Award for Innovations in Teaching and Learning, 2015.

  • Department of Mathematics Calculus program identified as one of the 17 most successful in the United States, ranked in the top 1 percent in the country, based on a National Science Foundation funded study, Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus (CSPCC, NSF DRL REESE #0910240), of U.S. college and university Calculus I courses, conducted by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), 2012.

  • “Collaborate and Innovate: One Department’s Perspective on Factors Supporting and Sustaining Pedagogical Change in Calculus I”, with Schroeder, L.B., McGivney-Burelle, J., Haruta, M., & Xue, F.(2017).To appear, Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies(PRIMUS), 2017. http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/upri20/current.

  • Mathematics Curriculum materials (2 units) for Connecticut Core standards courses, Algebra Icontributor. Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), Connecticut State Department of Education grant-funded project. Jan2015.

  • FlippingCalculus with J. Williams, L. Schroeder, J. McGivney-Burelle, B. Pollina, F. Xue. 2013.

  • “Simulating the Research Process with Elementary Students”, EDULEARN12 Proceedings. 4th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies. Barcelona, Spain. International Association of Technology, Education and Development (IATED), pp.2551-2557, Jul2012. https://library.iated.org/view/HARUTA2012SIM

  • “Good Test Problems for Calculus Courses that Require the TI-89 Graphing Calculator,” Proceedings of the International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics (ICTCM)2010.http://archives.math.utk.edu/ICTCM/i/22/S061.html

  • “An Overview of a Decade of WeBWorK Use in Precalculus and Calculus,” Proceedings of the International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics (ICTCM) 2010.http://archives.math.utk.edu/ICTCM/i/22/S029.html

KeynoteSpeaker atMATHCOUNTS® States and Chapter level competitions for Connecticut and Hartford, the largest national middle school mathematics competition, University of Hartford, Hartford, CT, 2014 (talk attendance ~200)and2017 (~200).

  • Flipping the Classroom: Strategies, Successes and Challenges with E. Gray and R. Desmond. Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI) Learn@Lunch session, University of Hartford. March 2017.
  • Flipping Calculus: Increasing Student Engagement and Success, with F. Xue, and J. McGivney-Burelle, Colloquium Series, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgetown University, Sept. 2016.
  • Flipping Calculus, A New Teaching Model: Increasing Student Engagement and Success, written with L. Schroeder, F. Xue. Presented at Flipped Learning Technologies (F.L.I.T.) Research Groupmeeting.Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, Fukutake Hall, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 2016.
  • Flipping Calculus: Classrooms circa 2016 vs. circa 1996, with F.Xue, New England Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges (NEMATYC) Spring 2016 conference, West Barnstable, MA. April 2016.
  • Increasing Student Engagement and Success in First-year Calculus, with J.McGivney-Burelle. Envisioning the Future of Undergraduate STEM Education: Research and Practice conference, National Science Foundation(NSF), Washington, D.C. April 2016.

I have served as Associate Chair of the Math Department, have chaired department Search Committees and have served on the College of Arts and Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committees. In 2016 I became Chair of the Departments of Mathematics and Physics.

I have conducted teacher training and professional development workshops for high school and community college mathematics departments. As a consultant, I regularly edit and review for major mathematics textbook publishers. Also, I have developed and run gifted mathematics pull-out and after-school programs for local elementary and middle school students culminating in student publications in national journals, have worked with the MathCounts program, and present at regional workshops for national gifted programs including the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.

Assembled (common) Final Exam Coordinator and Scheduler, 2000-present.

Arranged visit of Professors Hiroki Oura and Yuki Watanabe, from Tokyo Institute of Technology,with Engaged Mathematics Research Group (EMRG) members J. McGivney-Burelle, D. Miller, L. Schroeder, & F. Xue, to University of Hartford. Two-day visit included research meetings with EMRG, campus tour, Annual Faculty Showcase, and seminar talk “Creating Self-Regulated Learners: Tokyo Tech’s Data Driven Approach.” Oct. 2017.

Arranged visit of Professor Jim Sandefur, from Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgetown University, with EMRG members, to University of Hartford. One day visit included research meetingswith EMRG members, campus tour, and seminar talk, “What are our students thinking (mathematically)? What can we do about it?” April 2017.

Organized first Mathematics Department mentoring group for two P&T cases (L. Schroeder, A. Demirkaya)and 1 promotion to Full case(R. Decker)p repairing dossiers to the P&T Council. Members included J.McGivney-Burelle, F. Xue, M.Haruta, May-Aug 2016

  • American Mathematical Society (AMS)
  • Association for Women in Science(AWM)
  • Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Sigma Xi Research Society
I enjoy international travel for both work and leisure. Favorite places include Japan and Ireland.

Whenever I can, I play tennis, go climbing (mostly top-rope and hopefully lead someday!) and am getting back to horseback riding, this time through versatility and natural horsemanship. My whole family is musical, so in addition to my piano, we have a LOT of instruments! Taiko drumming is next on my list of things to learn. This is all whenever my hands aren’t dirty from gardening, where I can completely lose track of time.

But most of all I enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially my kids and husband!