Educational Studies

Ph.D., Mathematics Education: Illinois State University (IL, USA) 

Dissertation: Preservice Teachers’ Mathematical Understanding (The Role of Discourse)

M.A., Mathematics: University of the Philippines (Quezon City, Philippines)

Thesis: Summing Euler’s Series in Six Ways

B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education: Roosevelt College (Cainta, Philippines)

Teaching License: Professional Board Examination for Teachers (PBET)

Dr. Nillas started her teaching career as a high school mathematics teacher. She served as a Pahinungod facilitator for the UP Diliman Affirmative Action Program teaching mathematics to low income and deserving junior and senior high school students from marginalized communities in the Philippines (Davao del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Palawan, and Kalinga Apayao). She served a combined six years as a graduate assistant, research associate, and later as a faculty for the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) where she taught online courses for mathematics teachers and college mathematics to those pursuing associate degrees. Dr. Nillas has taught diverse groups of learners from high school students, pre-service teachers, adult learners, and in-service mathematics teachers. For twenty years, she has taught or developed courses (e.g., K-12 mathematics pedagogy, STEM education, writing intensive, student teaching seminar, and undergraduate research) for preservice teachers at Illinois Wesleyan University, a liberal arts institution committed to diversity, social justice and environmental sustainability. 

As a researcher, Dr. Nillas’ initial research interests highlight online teaching and learning and the role of language (discourse) in developing mathematical understanding. Embedding research into practice, she later focuses on the integration of technology in teaching and learning. She currently integrates AI tools in the teaching of middle and high school mathematics methods courses. Her instructional and research goals center on improving preservice teacher education in particular, the teaching of K-12 mathematics and the development of mathematics preservice teachers. In search of understanding how K-12 mathematics is taught around the world, she observed classrooms in the United States, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan and explored school systems in Spain, Israel, and New Zealand. For decades, she has mentored preservice teachers in learning to be teacher-researchers with the goal of improving their own teaching practices and the teaching of K-12 science and mathematics education.

Publications: Pure Profile