COMAP is thrilled to introduce a new member to our dedicated team. Dana Cartier, who began her role as our new Director of Instructional Design on June 1, shares COMAP's mission to make mathematics education excellent, innovative, and accessible to every student.

Dana believes that every student deserves high-quality, relevant, engaging mathematics education.  

"I am excited to connect COMAP's incredible body of work to classrooms and educators to support students in a rapidly changing world,” Dana said. “I want to build a bridge between what's existed and what's possible." 

Dana started her mathematics career in the classroom, and this experience guides her expertise today. She taught high school and college mathematics in Alabama before working with Illinois educators as a K-12 Math Specialist. She spent the last decade evaluating curriculum at EdReports, creating and editing curriculum for various publishers, national nonprofits, and state systems.  

Why COMAP, Why Now 

Despite just beginning her new role, Cartier has already begun working toward two key goals: 

New content designed for today's classrooms

Mathematical modeling is one of the most powerful tools we can give students, and that power grows when the contexts feel real and current. Look for fresh modules and resources that reflect the world students are actually living in — including connections to contemporary data, technology, and relevant issues that matter to global citizens. 

Professional learning opportunities for educators

Dana has spent her career designing and delivering professional learning that shifts practice in sustained, meaningful ways. COMAP will be expanding what we offer to educators who want to deepen their understanding of mathematical modeling and confidently bring it into their instruction. 

Refreshing COMAP for Today's Classrooms

Dana will accomplish these goals by working closely with the Refresh for Relevance (R4R) Project. 

For decades, COMAP has developed mathematical modeling resources that have helped students and educators engage with real-world mathematics. The Refresh for Relevance (R4R) Project builds on that foundation by updating classic materials for today's classrooms while preserving what has made them valuable.

COMAP has spent decades building a rich library of mathematical modeling resources that have shaped how students and educators engage with real-world mathematics. But the world has changed — and the best way to honor that legacy is to make sure it keeps meeting students where they are. That's exactly the spirit behind our Refresh for Relevance (R4R) Project. 

The R4R initiative invites educators and students to help breathe new life into COMAP's classic materials. Refreshing a module can include updating its real-world context, connecting it to current public data sets, incorporating contemporary technology and AI tools, or reimagining its pedagogy to better serve today's diverse learners. The recently updated UMAP Module 658: Windchill is just the beginning — a proof of concept for what's possible when great foundational content gets a thoughtful, modern revision. 

Looking Ahead

Dana’s career has been defined by evaluating curriculum quality, developing standards-aligned content, and designing professional learning that actually changes what happens in classrooms. She's done it for states, for national nonprofits, for curriculum publishers, and for thousands of individual educators. Now she's doing it for COMAP. 

Follow along as Dana and the COMAP team bring new energy, new resources, and new opportunities to the mathematical modeling education community. Explore the Refresh for Relevance Project, and stay tuned — there's a lot more to come.