“If you know mathematics, it can help you make wise decisions.”
That’s the philosophy behind Gregory Foley’s teaching and research—and the spirit through which he serves as the Patton College of Education’s Robert L. Morton Professor of Mathematics Education.
Morton (BSED ’13, LHD ’68) graduated from Ohio University in 1913. Alumni Gateway did not exist, but Morton embodied the virtues etched on that landmark in everything he did as an OHIO alumnus. He returned to his alma mater as a faculty member in 1918 and embarked on a 42-year career devoted to the teaching of mathematics as a means of changing lives.
Morton’s legacy can still be seen and felt on the Athens Campus—in the lecture hall that bears his name and in the professorship he endowed 45 years ago.
Foley credits Morton’s philanthropy with allowing him to work more closely with graduate students, collaborating on professional development for math teachers and evolving curriculum designed to ensure a successful transition from high school mathematics to college courses.
Through that work, Foley and his students are building communities—within Ohio University and with local school teachers—and impacting the field of mathematics education. An article Foley co-authored with a student and an Athens County math teacher was featured in the April 2018 issue of the official journal of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.