Rebecca Maxcy, Director and Principal Investigator at the University of Chicago Financial Education Initiative, led the research and development of finEDge, a single-semester financial education course for high school students and Talking Cents, conversation cards developed to engage people in conversations about money. She is also an author of Everyday Mathematics. Rebecca earned a Master’s in Education from Lesley University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College.

Amy L. Dillard received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. She taught elementary school for four years at Hoffman School in Glenview, Illinois. In 1994, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics Education from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

Ms. Dillard worked as a Teacher-in-Residence with the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP) from 1994 to 1997. She was involved in the development of the commercial publication of the first edition of Fourth Grade Everyday Mathematics, as well as the field testing and commercial publication of the first editions of Fifth Grade Everyday Mathematics and Sixth Grade Everyday Mathematics. Ms. Dillard worked from 1997 to 2001 as one of the authors of the second editions of Everyday Mathematics K–6 and then served as the Associate Director of Everyday Mathematics, Third Edition. She recently completed work on the fourth edition of Fourth Grade Everyday Mathematics. Ms. Dillard is currently a Curriculum Developer for the UChicago Financial Education Initiative.

Denise Porter is currently the Director of School Support Services at UChicago STEM Education. Denise started her work in education as a classroom teacher and a mathematics specialists. She has been working with the Everyday Mathematics curriculum since 1993 when she was hired as a Teacher in Residence. She was involved in the writing of the first edition of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade Everyday Mathematics. She has also worked on various state editions and most recently was the fifth grade team leader for the Common Core Edition.

Denise leads the School Support Services team in developing and providing professional development to administrators, teachers, and parents in a wide variety of school districts, regarding the best practices of Everyday Mathematics. Denise also provides coaching to support teachers with their implementation of Everyday Mathematics.

Denise has a Masters of Education degree from the University of Houston and a Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education from Iowa State University.

Tere is a former banking professional turned financial-education enthusiast. Her 20+ years working with various sized companies in the cash management industry led her to formally pivot to a lifelong passion of hers, financial education for youth and communities. She worked in the Office of Teaching and Learning as the financial education manager for the Chicago Public Schools district, and she continues to enjoy creating, designing, and facilitating high-quality programming in the financial-empowerment space. Tere holds her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Anna Commers is an Associate Curriculum Developer for the UChicago Financial Education Initiative. She does research and development of financial education curriculum in the US and abroad. Commers has a degree in Engineering and UX Design from Olin College of Engineering where she gained experience developing hands-on STEM curriculum. She is passionate about project-based learning and promoting self-efficacy in students.

Sierra Hinzman currently serves as a Curriculum Developer for the UChicago Financial Education Initiative. As a former middle school educator, she understands the importance of introducing young students to financial concepts. Ms. Hinzman earned a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology from Saint Thomas University in Miami, Florida, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Business, Finance, and Psychology from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.