Julie McNamara

Julie McNamara is an assistant professor of mathematics education at California State University, East Bay, in Hayward, California. She received a PhD in mathematics education from the University of California, Berkeley, where she also completed graduate work in the Development in Mathematics and Science program. Before moving into higher education and teacher education, she taught third, fourth, and fifth grades in local public schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work includes professional development and classroom coaching for teachers, and she has taught elementary mathematics methods courses at the University of California, Berkeley, Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, and through roles such as Mathematics Specialist with TeachingWorks at the University of Michigan.

McNamara’s research and writing focus on mathematics concepts that are foundational yet considered difficult to teach and learn, particularly fractions. She is the author of Beyond Invert & Multiply: Making Sense of Fraction Computation, Grades 3–6 and coauthor, with Meghan M. Shaughnessy, of Beyond Pizzas & Pies: 10 Essential Strategies for Supporting Fraction Sense, Grades 3–5, including the second edition of Beyond Pizzas & Pies.