Clemson Professor Megan Che Pivots From Storm Chasing To Math Education

Megan Che spent four undergraduate years at the University of Oklahoma releasing scientific instruments into supercell thunderstorms. Her work at the National Severe Storms Laboratory involved tracking severe weather across the Great Plains. During one of these storm chases, she was partially struck by lightning. That experience initially defined her career path toward meteorology, but it eventually led her to a different field entirely.

Che now serves as an associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Clemson University. She prepares future mathematics teachers in the College of Education. Her transition occurred during her undergraduate studies when she realized the mathematics used to describe atmospheric dynamics was more interesting to her than the weather itself. She noted that the equations describing the storms did not change over time, causing her passion for meteorology to wane once she understood the underlying math. She shifted her focus to education in graduate school, finding that discussing mathematics with students remained engaging.

Her teaching philosophy centers on the idea that every student possesses unique cognitive structures and can contribute meaningful insights to mathematics. Che views the classroom as a space with many different ways of thinking. She aims to draw out these varied perspectives to fuel understanding. She relies heavily on questioning as her primary instructional method. She poses broad mathematical queries and then reposes them with increasing specificity based on student responses. This technique requires close listening to determine how to push students to reason and construct mathematical meaning.

Che describes her classroom environment as one of productive vulnerability. She expects students to think, debate, and justify their conclusions. A current student recently coined the term productive skepticism to describe the classroom norm. This concept requires that claims and conclusions be supported by convincing arguments and evidence. The default stance for contributors is to keep asking questions and doubting assertions until sufficient proof is presented. Che argues that this approach allows students to take risks and try strategies that might not work, even when they are not fully confident in their results.

Outside of the classroom, Che has developed interests that surprise many people. She is fascinated by the Bronze Age collapse and the general history of the Bronze Age. She has also recently begun participating in community theater. She has appeared in productions of 1984 and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. She expressed hope that everyone will see the next show in which she is performing.