Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas serves as Chair of Educational Studies and Associate Professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, concurrently coordinating Secondary Education programs while teaching mathematics-focused courses including EDUC 271 (Teaching and Learning with Technology), EDUC 325 (Curriculum and Pedagogy in Mathematics), and secondary mathematics pedagogy sequences.

Her research expertise centers on critical intersections in mathematics education:

• Classroom discourse mechanisms for developing mathematical understanding
• Linguistic factors affecting mathematics comprehension
• Technology integration in teaching and learning environments
• Self-study methodologies within preservice teacher preparation

Professor Nillas maintains an extensive undergraduate research mentorship record with 312 documented advisement projects, recently guiding investigations into flexible seating impacts on elementary engagement (Sariev, 2025), heterogeneous grouping efficacy in math instruction (Ancevicius, 2025), and open educational resource implementation for accessibility (Wipf, 2025), demonstrating sustained commitment to practical educational innovation.