Degrees:

• M.S. Cognitive Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• B.A. Mathematics Education, Montclair State University

Biography:
Professor Joanna Kosakowski is a student-centered educator committed to excellence and innovation in mathematics education. She recently authored Exploring Calculus: A Guided Discovery Approach, which delineates an innovative method of teaching calculus that has proven quite successful at Lasell University.

Professor Kosakowski served as Department Chair of Mathematics and Science at Lasell for more than a decade and was instrumental in developing the baccalaureate curriculum, the mathematics minor and the mathematics placement procedures. Prior to her arrival at Lasell, Professor Kosakowski was the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also spent a number of years as a systems analyst in the mutual funds industry where she developed an appreciation of the complexities of the business environment.

For a number of years, Professor Kosakowski wrote the Mathematics and Science questions for the PBS television show “As Schools Match Wits.”

What do you enjoy about teaching?
"I have a photograph of myself at the age of five writing numbers on a blackboard. Obviously, I was destined to teach mathematics. I love to help people appreciate the beauty and utility of mathematics and I take great satisfaction in knowing I've helped innumerable students develop confidence in their ability to make sense of an increasingly complicated world."