Shannon Nichols

Shannon Nichols serves as Associate Professor of Mathematics in the College of Arts & Sciences at Columbia International University (CIU), where she directs the general education mathematics program. With over 30 years of instructional experience across secondary and post-secondary institutions in North Carolina and South Carolina, she specializes in fostering conceptual understanding and real-world applications of mathematics to enhance student engagement and quantitative literacy.

Her academic credentials include:

• BS in Mathematics Education from North Carolina State University (1994)
• MS in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University with thesis focus in Analytic Geometry (1996)

Professor Nichols integrates research-based pedagogy with technology to cultivate critical thinking and collaborative learning. Her expertise spans mathematics curriculum development, particularly through her leadership of the AP Calculus AB/BC program (2017–2024), and teacher preparation via Praxis Mathematics instruction (2000–2005). She emphasizes cross-disciplinary applications to demonstrate mathematics' relevance across academic fields.

Throughout her career at CIU since 1994, she has shaped mathematics education for diverse student populations while maintaining industry connections through early-career internships at IBM and Lexmark (1995–1997). Her teaching philosophy centers on making quantitative reasoning accessible and meaningful for all learners.