HAMTE is proud to support the Indiana Mathematics Education Research Symposium (IMERS). See below for information about past, present, and future symposiums.

2026 Symposium

The Indiana Mathematics Education Research Symposium (IMERS) 2026 will be held on Friday, March 27, 2026. This year’s theme, “Leading Change, Connecting Communities: Mathematics Education for a Shared Future,” highlights the many ways mathematics educators and researchers collaborate to improve learning opportunities for all students.

IMERS is a graduate student organized symposium, providing a supportive and engaging space for graduate students and early-career faculty to share their research, explore new ideas, and connect with colleagues across Indiana.

We are honored to welcome Robert Q. Berry III, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Education and Professor of Mathematics Education at Indiana University, as our keynote speaker. Dr. Berry previously served as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Arizona and was the Samuel Braley Gray Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Virginia.

The Call for Proposals is now open, and we encourage graduate students, researchers, and faculty to submit their work for presentation at IMERS 2026. Also, here you will the 2026 IMERS proposal template.

IMERS 2026 Organizing Committee
Asenath Odondi – Purdue University (Co-Chair) – aodondi@purdue.edu
Bernard Smith – Indiana University (Co-Chair) – brs16@iu.edu
Dayat Hidayat – Purdue University
Fachry – Indiana University
Ryan Schaben – Indiana University
Li Zhang – Purdue University
Comfort Aje – Purdue University
Missy Sutherland – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Selim Yavuz – Indiana University
Ladan Shojaei – Indiana University
Matthew Hardee – Indiana University

2025 Symposium

The Indiana Mathematics Education Research Symposium (IMERS) 2025 took place on Friday, April 4th, 2025, at the IU Indianapolis Campus. This year’s theme was “Technology in Mathematics Education,” spotlighting the latest research, tools, and strategies for integrating technology into mathematics teaching and learning.

IMERS is a graduate student-organized conference, providing a unique platform for graduate students and early-career faculty to share their research, explore new ideas, and network with colleagues across Indiana.

Dr. Jennifer Lovett, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Middle Tennessee State University, served as keynote speaker. Dr. Lovett, co-author of Exploring Math with Technology: Practices for Secondary Math Teachers, brought insights on technology’s pivotal role in mathematics education to our audience.

In addition to the keynote, the 2025 symposium featured two engaging panel discussions. Click the links to view the video of each session:

• Panel 1: Sharing Insights – Disseminating Research in Mathematics Education
  • Moderator: Amy Hackenberg (Indiana University Bloomington)
  • Panelists: Rachael H. Kenney (Purdue University), Jean S. Lee (University of Indianapolis), and Erik Tillema (Indiana University Bloomington).
• Panel 2: Fostering Inclusion – Integrating Equity in Mathematics Education
  • Moderator: Erik Jacobson (Indiana University Bloomington)
  • Panelists: Juan Manuel T. Gerardo (University of Cincinnati), Andrew Gatza (Ball State University), and Sarah Lubienski (Indiana University Bloomington).

The full conference program can be found here.

Highlights from IMERS 2025:

IMERS 2025 Organizing Committee

Selim Yavuz – Indiana University (HAMTE’s Graduate Student Representative) – syavuz@iu.edu
Mariela Duarte Mejia – Indiana University (IU)
Ryan Schaben – Indiana University (IU)
Hyunjeong Lee – Indiana University (IU)
Akaash Arora – Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI)
Jonathan Rojas Valero – Indiana University (IU)
Said Fachry Assagaf – Indiana University (IU)
Asenath Aoko Odondi – Purdue University (PU)
Comfort Temitope Aje – Purdue University (PU)
Humphrey Chinenye Ochulor – Purdue University (PU)
Renee Serrell Gibert – Purdue University (PU)
Evan Marquise Taylor – Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI)
Alexandra Cuadra – Purdue University (PU)
Ladan Shojaei – Indiana University (IU)
Jeffery Franklin – Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI)
Matthew Hardee – Indiana University (IU)
Iwan Sianturi – Indiana University (IU)

2024 Symposium

IMERS 2024 was held on Friday, March 1st, 2024, at the School of Education on the IUPUI Campus. The conference aims to provide graduate students and new faculty with opportunities to share their research ideas and network with colleagues.

Pictures from the 2024 conference:

Video from the 2024 conference:

See below for a copy of the 2024 program:

Organizing Committee:

Selim Yavuz (Indiana University) as HAMTE’s Graduate Student Representative
Sezai Kocabaş (Purdue University)
Mariela Duarte Mejia (Indiana University)
Ryan Schaben (Indiana University)
Akaash Arora (IUPUI)
Matthew Hardee (Indiana University)
Ladan Shojaei (Indiana University)
Iwan Sianturi (Indiana University)
Hyunjeong Lee (Indiana University)
Jonathan Rojas Valero (Indiana University)
Jeffery Franklin (IUPUI)
Comfort Temitope Aje (Purdue University)
Evan Marquise Taylor (IUPUI)
Asenath Aoko Odondi (Purdue University)
Hilary Ongoyo Omoze (Purdue University)
Ana Maria Haiduc (Purdue University)
Abigail Erskine (Purdue University)

2022 Symposium

IMERS 2022 was held on Friday March 4th, 2022, at the School of Education on the IUPUI Campus. The theme for was “Research Methodology: Pre- and Post-Degree,” and the conference aimed to provide graduate students and new faculty with opportunities to share their research ideas and to network with colleagues. The archived schedule may be found at the following link: IMERS_2022_Schedule

Keynote speakers:

• Elizabeth Suazo-Flores, Research Associate, CATALYST and Curriculum & Instruction, Purdue University.
• Brooke Max, Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, Purdue University

The Planning Committee for IMERS 2022 included Hanan Alyami (Purdue University), as HAMTE’s Graduate Student Outreach Coordinator, Akaash Arora (IUPUI), Iwan Sianturi (Indiana University), Jonathan Rojas Valero (Indiana University), Lizhen Chen (Purdue University), Mariela Duarte Mejia (Indiana University), Melissa Sutherland (Purdue University), Patti Walsh (Indiana University), Pavneet Kaur Bharaj (Indiana University), Rose Mbewe (Purdue University), Selim Yavuz (Indiana University), Sezai Kocabas (Purdue University), Sue Ellen Richardson (Purdue University), Weverton Ataide (Indiana University).

2021 Symposium

The 2021 planning committee was: Hanan Alyami (Purdue University), Pavneet Kaur Bharaj (Indiana University), Sue Ellen Richardson (Purdue University), Lizhen Chen (Purdue University), and Jenny Cox (Indiana University). The 11th IMERS was held virtually on March 12, 2021. Though the committee had no experience with hosting a virtual conference, they led a successful symposium, with 11 sessions, 11 faculty facilitators, 11 graduate student facilitators, 20 presentations by 23 different graduate students, and over 50 attendees. Below are copies of the schedule and proceedings.

History

Indiana Mathematics Education Research Symposium (IMERS) started in 2011. The initial mission of IMERS was to provide an annual platform that is organized by mathematics education graduate students, to support mathematics education graduate students and educators across the state of Indiana. Initially, the graduate students from Purdue University, Indiana University, and Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) took guidance from faculty members to lay down the foundational logistics of the symposium. However, the graduate students have gradually taken the lead to organize, plan, and conduct the symposium on their own. The initial mission of IMERS has come to fruition as its current slogan is “IMERS, for graduate students, by graduate students.”

Building on its initial mission, IMERS have grown as a venue where the graduate students explore their professional skills – learn how to organize and lead a symposium, create opportunities for networking, and develop a space to know more about each other. IMERS was meant to be a platform for the graduate students to think about research as a process where everything is not finished in its final form. Specifically, the graduate students feel safe and supported to share their research in various stages (e.g., Complete Studies, Studies in Progress, and Studies under Design). Additionally, the graduate students often get support from the senior scholars in the math-education field not only from Indiana, but even from the other states as noted keynote speakers are invited to inspire the graduate students to think about the professoriate in a broad way.

Typically, IMERS is held at IUPUI, with 2 keynote speakers presentations (e.g., Dr. Gloriana Gonzalez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017; Dr. Nicole Joseph, Vanderbilt University, 2018), a panel, in addition to 28-30 presentations. Here is a sample of past keynote presentations:

• Dana Cox, Toward Understanding Research and Teaching as Empathetic Activities (2018):
  

• Nicole M Joseph, Tensions in the Career of a Black Woman Researcher in the Racialized World of Mathematics Education (2018):
  

• Danny Martin, Mathematics Education in Contentious Times (2020):
  

• Barbara Dennis, The “I” in Inquiry (2020):