Jan Thomas

I was a secondary mathematics teacher who completed English as a second language qualifications. I became a consultant in language and mathematics. In 1987 I was a project officer with the then Policy Coordination section of Victorian Education Department working on a study of the ‘quality and quantity of mathematics teachers’. An academic position in teacher education at Victoria University of Technology followed. My research interests are concerned with linguistic and cultural effects on the learning of mathematics, access to mathematics as a social justice issue and policy in the mathematical sciences more generally. I had seven years involvement with the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies including five years on the executive. During this time I became part-time Executive Officer for the Australian Mathematical Society and was the first woman to be made a life member of the Society. I retired from VUT and helped establish Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) based at the University of Melbourne. I was Executive Officer for the Institute until I retired in March 2011. I was involved in ARC funded reviews of the mathematical sciences in 1995 and 2006. I am currently a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne.