Meet the Anja S. Greer Conference Leaders
Adam Chawansky
Phillips Exeter Academy
Adam taught secondary math in NYC public schools for over a decade after leaving actuarial consulting, because he wanted to do more fulfilling work that felt like it made a difference. He loves collecting interesting problems to help students experience the beauty of mathematics. Through these experiences, students realize math is much larger than just computation and memorization. Outside of the classroom, Adam enjoys trail running, creating in the Design Lab and spending time with his family.
Dan Butler
The Lovett School
Dan has been teaching math at the middle school and high school level for the past 41 years in the public and independent school systems. He has taught all mathematics courses from pre-algebra to multivariable calculus and linear algebra. Dan gives numerous workshops in mathematics both in the United States and abroad. He has been involved in professional development workshops for the past 35 years including 32 years as an instructor in the Anja S. Greer Conference. Dan is passionate about math and math education and is known to all of his students as “Mathman”.
Rebecca Courter
Charlotte Latin School
Rebecca Courter earned her Ph.D. in pure math from the University of Southern California began her teaching career at Pasadena City College in California. Her family moved to North Carolina in 2020 and she began teaching High School math at Charlotte Latin School. She loves puzzles and sharing her love of math, logic, and proofs with her students. Her favorite math joke is, “What did zero say to eight? … Nice belt!” Her current interests include effective pedagogy and helping students develop a growth mindset through quick and intentional activities in math class.
Diana Davis
Phillips Exeter Academy
Diana teaches math, coaches girls cross country and is a dorm head at PEA. She previously created and taught problem-centered, discussion-based math classes at Northwestern University, Williams College and Swarthmore College. Outside of teaching and pedagogy, she does research in geometry, dynamical systems, and gerrymandering. She also attended PEA as a highly engaged high school student. Diana has worked at the conference since 2004 and as a leader since 2012. She loves to create opportunities for people to think deeply about math and discuss it with each other.
Jess Emory
Phillips Exeter Academy
A New Hampshire native, Jess returned to the Granite State after spending five years teaching in private schools in New York City, a semester as an associate lecturer at the Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan, and a term working as a researcher at IIIT Hyderabad in India. Her teaching adventure started at Meridian Academy in Massachusetts, teaching in mixed-age, project-based, grade-free classrooms empowering students to find their love of STEM while completing New Teachers Collaborative at the Ted Sizer Essential School. Outside the classroom, Jess loves to go for walks in the woods, read, bake, all things D&D, and travel.
Ron Lancaster
University of Toronto
Ron is an associate professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, where he taught mathematics courses for pre-service teachers for 17 years. Ron taught grades 7-12 math for 23 years in coed public schools and a K-12 all-girls school. Ron’s professional activities include consultations and conference presentations in North America, Asia, England, the Middle East, Africa and India. Ron has authored/edited over 150 articles for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and is the recipient of the 2015 Margaret Sinclair Memorial Award in Mathematics Education awarded by the Fields Institute.