Dana Franz, PhD (Texas A&M University), is the Director of Academic Quality in the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness and Professor of Secondary Education, Mathematics in the College of Education. Dr. Franz’s research focuses on recruitment and retention of mathematics education teachers and preparation of secondary mathematics teachers. She is currently the Co-PI on the NSF-funded Noyce collaborative research grant Teacher Preparation for Rural Teacher Persistence and Retention (TPR)2, and co-leader of the Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership: A Networked Community of Institutions across the US studying the recruitment and preparation of secondary mathematics educators. Dr. Franz’s new appointment to Academic Quality is a direct result of her expertise in teacher professional development and program improvement.