— LISTEE'S SPOTLIGHT —

Dr. Joseph G. R. Martinez cultivated professional excellence for nearly 50 years prior to his retirement in 2012. Joining the faculty of the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 1974, he first served as a teaching assistant. Primarily focusing on research design and statistical analysis as a concentration, his doctoral dissertation was nominated for the prestigious Popejoy Dissertation Prize. After earning his Doctor of Philosophy from UNM in 1980, he was hired at the University of Albuquerque as an assistant professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics from 1982 to 1985. From 1985 to 1986, he taught mathematics at UNM’s Valencia Campus. Returning to UNM in its College of Education, he began as an assistant professor, climbing up the tenure ladder towards becoming a full professor of mathematics education. Collaborating with his wife, Nancy, over 250 of their writings were published, presented national and international conference papers, and developed different assessment measures of mathematical learning and mathematics anxiety. Their co-authored book, “Math Without Fear: A Guide for Preventing Math Anxiety in Children,” covers the relationship between cognition and emotion in mathematics learning.