Overview

Dr. Barbara Sponsel is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics with over 30 years of experience in higher education. She has taught courses in algebra, calculus, geometry, statistics, and mathematics education.

She earned a B.A. in Secondary Mathematics Education and an M.S. in Mathematics from Wichita State University. In 2010, she completed a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Mathematics Education) from Kansas State University. While at Newman University, Dr. Sponsel secured $699,000 in federal funding for two three-year Math and Science Partnership Title IIB grants. As principal investigator, she led collaborations between the Mathematics, Science, and Education departments and Wichita-area school districts (e.g., Wichita; Haysville; Belle Plaine). These initiatives created a dynamic professional learning network that strengthened teachers’ math and science expertise.

Outside the classroom, Barbara enjoys spending time with her family and watching her grandchildren participate in sports and the performing arts.

Information

Academic Interests and Expertise

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction, Mathematics Education, Kansas State University, 2010
Dissertation: The Impact of the Infinite Mathematics Project on Teachers’ Knowledge and Teaching Practice: A Case Study of a Title IIB MSP Professional Development Initiative

M.S. Mathematics, Wichita State University, 1993

B.A. Secondary Education of Mathematics, Wichita State University, 1987

Areas of Research Interest
  • Mathematics Education K-12 (e.g., mathematical knowledge for teaching; mathematics professional development for K-12 teachers)
  • Undergraduate Mathematics (e.g., teaching strategies that support mathematics learning)
Areas of Teaching Interest

Algebra

Trigonometry

Calculus

Mathematics for Prospective Teachers

Professional Experience

Wichita State University

2025 – Present, Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics

1993 – 1999, Instructor of Mathematics

Newman University

2018 – 2025, Professor of Mathematics

2012 – 2018, Associate Professor of Mathematics

2004 – 2012, Assistant Professor of Mathematics

1999 – 2004, Instructor of Mathematics

Grants
  • “Using Mathematical Practices to Understand Content” ($330,000).  Funding source Kansas State Department of Education through the US Department of Education, Title IIB – Math and Science Partnerships. Grant Proposal Writer, Principal Investigator, and Co-Facilitator. (2012-2015, Newman University).
  • “Teacher Inquiry into Math, Engineering, and Science Practices” ($369,000). Funding source Kansas State Department of Education through the US Department of Education, Title IIB–Math and Science Partnerships. Grant Proposal Writer, Principal Investigator, and Co-Facilitator. (2015-2018, Newman University).
Areas of Service
  • KSDE Higher Education Math Program Reviewer (Spring 2023; Spring 2021; Spring 2020; Spring 2017)
  • KSDE Math and Science Partnership Grant Competition Reviewer (Winter 2016-17)