Elham Kazemi

Elham Kazemi is a Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Washington’s College of Education, holding the Geda and Phil Condit Endowed Chair. She specializes in elementary teacher education, instructional leadership, and equity-focused mathematics pedagogy. Her research emphasizes professional learning communities, student-centered classroom practices, and disrupting inequities in education.

Education:

• PhD in Mathematics Education, UCLA (1999)
• MA in Educational Psychology, UCLA (1997)
• BS in Psychology (Elementary Teaching Certificate), Duke University (1992)

Research Interests: Kazemi’s work focuses on equitable mathematics instruction, teacher learning, and leadership development. She designs school-wide professional development models (e.g., Math Labs) and studies classroom discourse, student disciplinary identities, and organizational learning. Key projects include the Labs Project (funded by JSMF) and RMLL (NSF-funded leader learning).

Publications & Grants:

• Over 40 peer-reviewed articles, including work in American Educational Research Journal and Journal of Teacher Education.
• Co-authored influential books like Choral Counting and Counting Collections and Intentional Talk.
• Recipient of $5.4M+ in grants from NSF, McDonnell Foundation, and others for projects on teacher leadership and equitable instruction.

Awards:

• 2022 AERA Open Article of the Year
• 2019 Outstanding Faculty Award for Educational Equity
• 2015 Geda & Phil Condit Professorship

Advising & Leadership: Kazemi co-leads initiatives like the Leading Towards Racially Just Mathematics Instruction partnership. She has supervised numerous graduate students and collaborates with schools to implement equity-driven practices.

Labs & Teams: Her work includes the Labs Project (designing Learning Labs for mathematics/literacy discussions) and the Mathematics Education Project (MEP), fostering statewide collaboration among educators.