Foundation and Future: The People Shaping Math Education at LSU

In classrooms across Louisiana, a familiar phrase can still be heard: "I'm just not a math person." 

Changing that mindset is at the heart of the work happening at LSU, work shaped not by programs alone, but by the people who support and sustain them every day. 

For Soula O'Bannon and Sarah Rispone, that work looks different but shares the same purpose. 

O'Bannon has been part of LSU's Department of Mathematics since 1983. As undergraduate program manager, she keeps the foundation solid through the steady, behind-the-scenes work that makes everything else possible. 

Rispone represents a newer chapter. As program manager for GeauxTeach STEM, she builds on it, preparing future educators to carry that work into classrooms across Louisiana. 

Together, their perspectives reflect both the foundation and the future of math education at LSU, where educator preparation, community outreach, and long-standing institutional support come together in ways that extend far beyond campus.

A Moment of Recognition 

This year, April was formally recognized as Math Awareness Month by both the State of Louisiana (Governor Jeff Landry) and the City of Baton Rouge (Mayor Sid Edwards), highlighting math's role in education, workforce development, and everyday life. 

For O'Bannon, pursuing those proclamations came down to one belief: that math has the power to change what people think they're capable of.

"Math Awareness Month is about inspiring people to find the beauty in math," said O'Bannon. "There is not one facet of our lives where math is not used — budgeting, time management, buying groceries. Everyone uses it every day; they just may not realize it." 

It also reflects something she has long believed about the power of the subject itself. 

"Once you find the key to learning math, there is nothing in the world you cannot do. It starts with believing in yourself." 

Soula O'Bannon, Undergraduate Program Manager, LSU Department of Mathematics

 

A Movement Taking Shape 

This recognition comes at a moment of real momentum. According to U.S. News & World Report Best States, Louisiana's fourth-grade math ranking improved from 50th in 2019 to 38th in 2024. 

"Moving from 50th to 38th doesn't happen by chance," said Rispone. "It reflects years of intentional work by educators across the state who are committed to doing things differently." 

For Rispone, Math Awareness Month is both a celebration and a prompt to keep going. 

"Recognition like this signals that math education is a priority," she said. "It brings visibility to the work educators are doing every day." 

That commitment runs through GeauxTeach, where students enter real classrooms early in their college careers, building content knowledge alongside the confidence to lead. 

"When students build confidence early, it changes what they believe they're capable of. If we want to change outcomes, we have to change experiences — and that starts with the teachers we're preparing today," said Rispone.  

Many of those students go on to teach in Louisiana schools, extending LSU's reach into communities across the state.

"GeauxTeach is about preparing educators who don't just teach math, but change how students experience it." 

Sarah Rispone, GeauxTeach STEM Program Manager

 

Bringing Math to Life 

This work isn't limited to programs and policy. It also takes shape in gyms, cafeterias, and community spaces where faculty also bring math directly to students. 

Jiuyi Zhu, a faculty member in LSU's Department of Mathematics, visits local elementary and middle schools with hands-on demonstrations designed to spark curiosity.

"All the middle and elementary school students are learning mathematics every day, but they do not know how math is used in their daily life," Zhu said. "Every physical phenomenon has a math background." 

Using vibrating plates that form intricate patterns in sand, Zhu creates moments that stop students in their tracks. 

"It is astonishing to watch the sands move on their own, forming intricate, beautiful patterns," he said. 

These experiences help students see math not as something abstract and distant, but as a living, visible part of the world around them.

Looking Ahead 

For O'Bannon and Rispone, what comes next depends on the same thing that has always driven progress: people working together with a shared sense of purpose. 

From statewide recognition to classroom outreach, from program coordination to educator preparation, a broader movement is taking shape at LSU, one built on collaboration, consistency, and a belief that every student can become a math person. 

"Math education has been overlooked for too long," Rispone said. "But together, we have the opportunity to move forward." 

"Math education in Louisiana is moving in the right direction, and the LSU faculty and staff behind this work are a big reason why. Their work — seen and unseen — is shaping what students across this state believe they're capable of," said Robb Brumfield, interim dean of the LSU College of Science.