Skip to main content

Doctoral Student Danielle Moloney ‘24PHD Awarded Prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from National Science Foundation

New wolf statue on central campus.

Danielle Moloney ‘24PHD, a student in the NC State College of Education’s Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences’ elementary education in mathematics and science program area of study, has been awarded a prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation.

Moloney received the fellowship for her project, “Positioned for Success — Teacher Learning of Positioning for Equity.”

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to pursue my research interests through the generous funding of the Graduate Research Fellowship Program. It is an honor to join so many dedicated individuals who are committed to the cause of educational equity and excellence,” Moloney said.

Moloney’s research proposal outlines a professional development program that will use classroom videos to help teachers grow in their understanding and implementation of specific equitable teaching practices in mathematics education and examine how they incorporate those practices into instruction.

Her goal is to understand how professional development changes teachers’ understanding of equitable mathematics practices and whether those changes are sustained over time.

“My personal teaching experiences have motivated me to understand how teachers can leverage equitable teaching practices to support student learning and growth, especially in the field of mathematics,” Moloney said. “As a fifth grade math teacher, I witnessed daily the inequity that plagues our educational system, but I also experienced firsthand the impact teachers have on students’ mathematical opportunities.”

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) recognizes outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

Fellows receive an annual stipend of $34,000 for three years, a $12,000 allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research.

Previous College of Education students to receive the prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship include: in 2020, Kelly Womack-Adams ‘24PHD for “Speakin’ What We Know: The Influence of Dialect on Math Explanations and Perceptions”; in 2019, Stephen Gibson ‘19MS for “The Experiences of African American STEM Majors at HBCUs: The Role of Belonging” and Danielle Scharen ‘15, ‘19MED, ‘23PHD for “Reading Engagement and Discovery Science (READS): Structure of Elementary Science Instruction and Relation to Student Outcomes”; and in 2017, Amanda Gosek ‘13MED, ‘20PHD for “Mentorship as a Remediation Strategy in Mathematics,” Sarah Kessler ‘17MS for “Why Are Fractions So Hard: An Analysis of Error and Growth,” and Whitney McCoy ‘20PHD for “Culturally Relevant Components of Engineering Clubs for African American Girls.”