Meet the Expert: Cindy Lawrence, the CEO and Executive Director of the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)
Cindy Lawrence, a native New Yorker and lifelong math enthusiast, began her professional career as a CPA, working in both public accounting and the private sector. Her career then segued into education as she became a lead instructor and national editor for an international professional review program, Becker Professional Education, writing and editing curriculum and reaching thousands of students worldwide. Ms. Lawrence also created and continues to direct an extracurricular mathematics program for gifted middle school and high school students, run through a joint venture with Brookhaven National Laboratory.
In January 2015, after having been promoted first to Associate Director and then to Co-Executive Director, Ms. Lawrence was named Executive Director and CEO of the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath). In her leadership role at MoMath, Ms. Lawrence strives to change public perceptions of mathematics and to improve and diversify mathematics education. She focuses on the creative design process for all exhibits and programs, both onsite and online, as well as overseeing all aspects of Museum operations, including public outreach and engagement.
Cindy’s Five Tips to get your child to fall in love with math:
1. Engage children in fun, extracurricular, hands-on learning experiences that bring math to life (present math in a new way)
2. Share your curiosity for the subject with them and engage in math experiences together
3.Make connections between mathematics and other areas of interest (music, animation, etc.)
4. Build a community of math-loving peers
5. Don’t give up. Even if your child is struggling with math, rather than assuming they’re “just not a math person.” Find another path in, there’s a way to reach everyone with mathematics
What is the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)?
The National Museum of Mathematics is located in Manhattan at 11 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue. The Museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, seven days a week, 364 days a year. MoMath is closed on Thanksgiving Day and after 2:30 pm once per month for Math Encounters presentations, generally held on the first or second Wednesday of each month. Please check visit.momath.org for specific dates and times.
**********************************************************************************************
Challenge:
You’re in a hallway with 100 lockers. Kid #1 opens all the lockers. Kid #2 closes every other locker. Kid #3 opens every other locker. If the locker is open, he closes it. And so on through all 100 kids. What does the hallway look like at the end?
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
*************************************************************************************************
Featured Book for this Episode!
The Big Fat Middle School Math Workbook: 600 Math Practice Exercises by Workman Publishing (Author), Editors of Brain Quest (Author)
Book List:
Everything You Need to Ace Pre-Algebra and Algebra I in One Big Fat Notebook
by Workman Publishing (Author), Jason Wang (Author)
Math Riddles For Smart Kids: Math Riddles And Brain Teasers That Kids And Families Will love
by M Prefontaine (Author)
Perfectly Logical!: Challenging Fun Brain Teasers and Logic Puzzles for Smart Kids by Jenn Larson
