Rate My Professor Todd Todd CadwalladerOlsker

Todd CadwalladerOlsker is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at California State University, Fullerton, where he specializes in mathematics education. Holding a Ph.D., his academic interests focus on undergraduate mathematics education, including mathematical reasoning and proof, student perspectives on proof schemes, and the impact of supplemental instruction on student success. He serves as a faculty coordinator for the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program in mathematics, having led its development over several years. As the SI math faculty liaison, he managed recruitment and training of SI leaders, taught SI-based calculus courses, and delivered graduate courses for future teachers. In 2016-2017, he received Faculty Recognition for his leadership in the SI program and commitment to high-impact practices that support student achievement, with student opinion questionnaire ratings consistently in the highest categories.

CadwalladerOlsker has authored several key publications in mathematics education. Notable works include "What Do We Mean by Mathematical Proof?" (Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 2011), which examines formal and communal views of proof and their roles in pedagogy; "The Effect of Supplemental Instruction on Transfer Student Success in First-Semester Calculus" (Learning Assistance Review, 2013, co-authored); "The Labeling Strategy: Moving Beyond Order in Counting Problems" (PRIMUS, 2013); "Gender Differences in Mathematics and Science Achievement Across the Distribution: What International Variation Can Tell Us About the Role of Biology and Society" (2012); and "Investigating undergraduate students’ view of and consistency in choosing empirical and deductive arguments" (2019). He has presented research at conferences, such as "Counting Two Ways: The Art of Combinatorial Proof" with Nicole Engelke at the Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, and contributed to Supplemental Instruction studies on related rates problems. Additionally, he has participated in university committees, including nominations to the Academic Senate and Institutional Review Board. His scholarship has earned over 100 citations, influencing discussions on proof conception and teaching practices in undergraduate mathematics.