James O'Keefe
Professional Title: Associate Professor of Mathematics
Areas of Academic Focus and Expertise:
Mathematics; Emerging Technologies in Teaching Math and Science
Representative List of Recent Courses Taught:
Introductory Statistics; Inferential Statistics; Quantitative Reasoning; Patterns and Functions; Conceptual Calculus
Education: BA, Boston College; MEd, Harvard University; PhD, Boston College
Dr. O'Keefe is most interested in "useful mathematics", and in all of his courses you can find some application to the real world, whether it be statistics in the news, the motion of a falling object, or the relationship between height and arm span.
Professor O'Keefe is also the principal investigator for Project MIST - Mathematics Integrated with Science through Technology. The goal of the project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and HUD, is to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics through the use of emerging educational technologies. The MIST lab is outfitted with a Smart interactive whiteboard, MacBook laptop computers, iPads, iPods, GIS (Geographic Information System) software, a classroom "clicker" system, and digital scientific probes for variables such as speed, temperature, pH, heart rate, and light intensity. Math, Science, and Education courses are currently being developed to make optimal use of these cutting-edge technologies.
In his spare time, Dr. O’Keefe loves to travel, and is a sports enthusiast - an avid bicyclist, golfer, basketball and tennis player, but his favorite pastime is watching his three sons play college basketball.