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Faculty Richard Velasco

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Richard Velasco 

Assistant Professor

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Richard Velasco

Phone

352-273-4240

Email

rvelasco1@ufl.edu

Connect

@rclvelasco
LinkedIn

About

Dr. Richard Velasco is an assistant professor of mathematics education at the University of Florida. His current research project, funded by the Gates Foundation as part of the National Academy of Education's Equity in Math Education Research Grant program, partners with Indigenous CHamoru educators in Guam and Saipan to co-develop and implement culturally relevant data science modules for secondary math students in Micronesia. Prior to higher education, Dr. Velasco was a national board certified secondary math teacher for 12 years in Guam and Washington state and was a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching awarded by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the White House.

Affiliations

  • School of Teaching and Learning

Research Interests

Culturally Responsive Teaching, Curriculum Development, Curriculum Integration, Data Collection and Analysis, Mathematics Education, Middle School / Jr. High, Preservice Teacher Education, Qualitative Research, Race / Ethnicity Issues, Teacher Leadership

Education

  • Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 2020
  • M.A.T., University of Saint Mary, 2010
  • B.A., University of Guam, 2007

Professional Appointments

  • Assistant Professor, School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, 2025-present
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum, University of Oklahoma, 2022-2025
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, University of Iowa, 2020-2022

Activities and Honors

  • 2025 OU Institute for Community and Society Transformation First Time Principal Investigator Award
  • 2024 OU ILAC Department Research Award
  • 2023 Association of Math Teacher Educator’s STaR Fellows Program
  • 2022 UI Asian Pacific Islander Advocate Award
  • 2021 Common Ground Research Networks’ Emerging Scholar Award
  • 2016 Guam Middle School Teacher of the Year
  • 2014 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

Selected Grants

Amplifying Indigenous Micronesian Intelligence for Data Sciece (MINDS) with Culturally Relevant Data

Role
  • PI
Funding Agency
  • The Gates Foundation and National Academy of Education
Project Period
  • 2024-2026
Award Amount
  • $113,000

Foundational Acceleration and Support for Teachers of STEM

Role
  • Co-PI
Funding Agency
  • Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education
Project Period
  • 2024-2025
Award Amount
  • $544,347.00

Recruiting and Training Community College and University Students to Become Culturally Responsive and Proficient Mathematics Teachers in Iowa

Role
  • Co-PI
Funding Agency
  • National Science Foundation
Project Period
  • 2019-2024
Award Amount
  • 1,424,399.00

Selected Publications

Articles
  • Fletcher, N., Hinestroza, J. M., Sundrani, A., Kebreab, L., Kang, B., Alexander, N., ... & Velasco, R. (2025). Programs and opportunities for early career mathematics education scholars. Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, 16(1), 46-57. https://doi.org/10.52214/jmetc.v16i1.13345
  • Velasco, R. C. L. (2025). Postulating perfect prompts: Leveraging chatbot technologies to engage math students in sociopolitical issues. Theory Into Practice 64, (2), 249-260. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2025.2453373
  • Pleasants, J., Velasco, R. C. L., Colonnello, C., Glenn, S., Crapitto, S., Raymond, K., & Abbott, B. (2024). Promoting sociotechnical perspectives of engineering during a summer bridge program. Journal of Engineering Education, 114(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20626
  • Thanheiser, E., Bay-Williams, J., Velasco, R. C. L., Bondurant, L., & Lai, Y. (2024). Critical Conversations of Engaging with the AMTE Standards. Journal for Theoretical & Marginal Mathematics Education, 3(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14419590
  • Velasco, R. C. L., Pullen, K. R., & Remington, J. D. (2024). Advocates for STEM education: Developing advocacy identity in STEM teacher leadership. School Science and Mathematics, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.18314
  • Velasco, R. C. L., & Espina, T. C. (2024). Rehumanizing STEM for students in Micronesia: A case study of a Guåhan math teacher’s aqua-robotics project. Micronesian Educator, 34, 51-66. https://www.uog.edu/schools-and-colleges/school-of-education/micronesian-educator/current-volume
  • Velasco, R. C. L., & Hite, R. (2023). Stakeholders’ conceptions of STEM and elementary STEM clubs within a community-university partnership. The Electronic Journal for Research in Science and Mathematics Education, 27(3), 75-95. https://ejrsme.icrsme.com/article/view/23144
  • Velasco, R. C. L., & Powell, A. (2023). Unincorporated: A duoethnography of rehumanizing mathematics from Guåhan and the US Virgin Islands. Prometeica-Revista de Filosofía y Ciencias, (27), 189-198. https://doi.org/10.34024/prometeica.2023.27.15283
  • Hite, R., Johnson, L., Gottlieb, J., McNaughtan, J., & Velasco, R. C. L. (2023). Examining the Situative Progression of Teachers’ Novice-to-Expert Development in Education Policy. The Educational Forum, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2023.2231995
  • Velasco, R. C. L., Hite, R., Milbourne, J., & Gottlieb, J. J. (2023). Stand out and speak up: Exploring empowerment perspectives among advocacy activities of American K-12 STEM teachers. Journal of Teacher Development, 27(4), 525-541. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2023.2207095
  • Velasco, R. C. L., & Degner, K. (2023). Exploring Representations of Linear and Nonlinear Functions. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 116(5), 349-357. https://doi.org/10.5951/MTLT.2022.0346
  • Velasco, R. C. L. (2022). Constant critical reflexivity: Engaging in an archaeology of self to promote racial literacy in a math teacher education program. The Educational Forum, 87(3), 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2022.2126051
  • Velasco, R. C. L., & Hite, R. (2022). Advocacy interrupted: Exploring K-12 STEM teacher leaders’ conceptions of STEM education advocacy before and during COVID-19. The Electronic Journal for Research in Science & Mathematics Education, 20, 435-457. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-021-10176-z
Presentations
  • February 2025. “Math Teachers Taking a Culturally Relevant Approach to Developing Data Science Education Curriculum.” Inaugural Data Science Education K-12 Conference. San Antonio, TX.
  • July 2024. “Culturally Relevant Mathematics Teaching for Students in Micronesia.” 15th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-15). Sydney, Australia.
  • April 2024. “Rehumanizing Mathematics: Exploring the Influence of Teacher Candidates’ Intersectional Identities.” American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting 2024. Philadelphia, PA.
  • April 2024. “Preservice Teachers Mapping Observations of Perceived Rehumanizing Mathematics.” American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting 2024. Philadelphia, PA.
  • July 2023. “A Duoethnography of Rehumanizing Mathematics from Guåhan and the US Virgin Islands.” 12th International Conference on Math Education and Society. São Paulo, Diadema, Brazil.
  • July 2023. “Developing a Teaching of Mathematics for Social Justice Survey.” 12th International Conference on Math Education and Society. São Paulo, Diadema, Brazil.
  • April 2023. “Using a Rehumanizing Framework to Analyze a Guåhan Math Teacher’s Lesson Plans.” American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting 2023. Chicago, IL.
  • February 2023. “Opportunities for Recruitment, Retention, and Diversification of the Math Teacher Pipeline.” 27th Annual Conference of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE). New Orleans, LA.