You are here

Home

Patricia Beaulieu

Patricia Beaulieu
Assistant Professor
434 Maxim Doucet Hall
337-482-6704
pbeaulieu@louisiana.edu

Ph.D. 1991 Louisiana State University

I joined the UL Lafayette faculty in 1991. I received my A.B. from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio in mathematics. I earned my M.Ed. from Tuskegee University in Mathematics, and both my M.S. and Ph.D. (1991) in mathematics from Louisiana State University.

My original research involved number theory - an investigation of the interplay between group theory and number theory by combining two old concepts: permutation representations and trace forms of field extensions. My mathematical interests now include Mathematics Teacher Education.

I have served as co-PI of various externally funded projects. The aim of two of the projects is to improve the mathematical content knowledge of both pre-service and in-service teachers. Since its start in Spring 2021, I have been Senior Personnel with Region 4 STEM Network Center (R4SNC), which has been forging relationships across sectors to accelerate systemic STEM improvement through strategic pursuits. The R4SNC is funded by the Louisiana Board of Regents under its LaSTEM initiative. R4SNC is one of nine regional STEM Network Centers, which operate as a system of STEM leadership entities strategically positioned across Louisiana to improve access to STEM education, participation, and advancement. To help ensure first generation college freshmen are better prepared for freshmen mathematics, we offered free jump start mathematics enrichment sessions in the later part of July 2022. I was a R4SNC Affiliate Faculty on this grant. On another grant, in May 2023, I served as project leader for high school/college mathematics outreach for the Region IV STEM Network Center. In particular, for 3 weekends, I conducted professional development workshops for teachers in ACADIANA preparing to take the Praxis exam to become certified and promote quality mathematics instruction.

Externally funded projects:

  • The Louisiana Mathematics Master’s in the Middle (LaM3) Project is geared toward Master Teachers teaching mathematics in the middle school.
  • The Strengthening Teacher Education through Mathematics & Science Teaching Scholars (STEMS2) in Louisiana project aims to offer teacher certification (through a minor or double major) to talented STEM majors.
  • Smooth Transition for Advancement to Graduate Education (STAGE) for Underrepresented Groups in Mathematical Sciences is a mentoring program, in cooperation with Louisiana Historically Black Colleges and Universities (La-HBCUs). STAGE for Underrepresented Groups in Mathematical Sciences was designed to better prepare more students to pursue graduate studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas.

Selected research publications:

  • The galois number (with T. Palfrey), Mathematische Annalen, 309 (1996), 81-96.