Faculty-Led Initiative Will Strengthen Calculus Instruction, Student Success and STEM Education

Alabama A&M University has been selected to participate in a national initiative to strengthen undergraduate mathematics education, receiving up to $80,000 in grant funding through the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).

The award, led by Dr. Yinshu Wu, associate professor of mathematics and mathematics program coordinator at AAMU, supports the Collaborative Alignment for Learning in Calculus (CALC+) initiative. The project will bring mathematics faculty together to improve instructional consistency, enhance student learning outcomes and strengthen academic preparation for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

AAMU was selected for the spring 2027 cohort, marking the University’s first participation in the national initiative. Wu applied for the grant in September 2026, with the award confirmed in October.

“I am honored to lead this project at Alabama A&M University,” Wu said. “As Mathematics Program Coordinator, I have always been interested in finding effective ways to improve student success in mathematics.”

The initiative will span three academic semesters, beginning in spring 2027 and continuing through spring 2028. Funding of up to $80,000 is contingent on project deliverables and participation.

As project lead and course coordinator, Wu will oversee a collaborative effort to align instruction across participating Calculus I sections. Faculty will coordinate course planning, instructional materials, assessments and learning objectives while maintaining flexibility in their individual teaching approaches.

Central to the initiative is the implementation of Learnvia, a nonprofit educational technology initiative launched by Carnegie Mellon University with support from the Gates Foundation. The research-based, AI-enabled learning platform provides interactive activities, immediate feedback and personalized opportunities for students to strengthen their understanding of mathematical concepts.

Participating Calculus I sections will use Learnvia as a shared instructional foundation, replacing existing textbook and homework platforms. Students will have access to common lessons, assignments and self-assessments designed to reinforce essential concepts, including limits, derivatives, integrals and mathematical applications.

The platform will be available to participating students at no additional courseware cost.

“Calculus I is especially important because it serves as a gateway to many STEM majors,” Wu said. “When students struggle in calculus, it can affect their progress toward graduation and their future career opportunities.”

The initiative is designed to address those challenges through a coordinated instructional approach that allows faculty to identify learning gaps, provide timely academic support and strengthen student preparation for advanced coursework.

Joining Wu on the AAMU project team are Dr. Padmaja Guggilla, professor and chair of the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics; Dr. Salam Khan, professor of mathematics; Dr. Segun Oke, Dr. Kanaththa Priyankara, Dr. Andrew Pham and Dr. Skylyn Irby, assistant professors of mathematics; and mathematics instructors Dr. Samuel Adedokun, Dr. Arienne Dumas and Charles Webb.

Faculty members will also participate in professional development and exchange instructional strategies with educators at other institutions participating in the national initiative. The collaboration is expected to support long-term improvements in course design, assessment and student achievement beyond the grant period.

Wu brings extensive academic and research experience to the project. She joined Alabama A&M 15 years ago and has served as mathematics program coordinator since fall 2022. She earned a doctorate in applied mathematics, with a minor in computer science, from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2011.

Her research interests include applied mathematics, differential equations, mathematical modeling, machine learning, artificial intelligence, numerical methods and quantum computing.

Throughout her academic career, Wu has contributed to externally funded research and educational initiatives supported by organizations including NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Amazon AWS-MLU and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

Wu says the CALC+ award represents an opportunity to build on AAMU’s commitment to academic excellence while creating a more collaborative and supportive mathematics learning environment.

The project also reflects the University’s broader emphasis on preparing students for success in high-demand STEM disciplines through innovative instruction, faculty collaboration and expanded academic resources.

“I hope this grant will be the beginning of a long-term effort to improve Calculus I instruction at AAMU,” Wu said. “Beyond adopting a new technology, our goal is to establish a sustainable, collaborative teaching model that can benefit future generations of students.”