Remembering Dr. Karen Trujillo

 

Karen-Trujillo.jpg Our department was greatly saddened by the recent passing of Dr. Karen Trujillo, the Superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools. New Mexico has lost a talented leader, and a great advocate for mathematics education. Many of us in the department knew and worked with Karen over the past 30 years, as she progressed from an undergraduate and graduate student, to a teacher, then a researcher and, finally, an administrator. During that time, she was involved with us in state- and federally-funded mathematics education programs, including Student Research Projects in Calculus, Mathematically Connected Communities (MC^2), Leadership Institute for Teachers (LIFT), and Math Snacks. Throughout, she was a strong advocate for rigorous, conceptual, and student-centered teaching in mathematics. The department published an article about Karen in our 2019 newsletter, which you can read here [link]. Karen had a strong interest in the recruitment of K-12 teachers, especially mathematics teachers. Her family has set up a scholarship fund for future teachers, the Dr. Karen Trujillo Memorial Fund. Give to the Dr. Karen Trujillo Memorial Fund here