Richard Kenneth Pineau (ao8242)

Mathematics

Room 1249, Faculty/Administration Building

Short bio

Richard Pineau is an associate professor of teaching in the department of mathematics and is in his 11th year on faculty. He teaches courses primarily at the undergraduate level and was an adjunct instructor for FYS 1010 (Learning with the Brain in Mind). Recognized for his teaching, Mr. Pineau was inducted into the WSU Academy of Teachers in 2020 and served as the group's chair for the 2021-2022 academic year. He was elected vice chair for AY 2022-2023. In April 2021, he was the recipient of both the General Education Teaching Award and the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching. More recently, he served as a Student Success Faculty Fellow for the 2022-2023 academic year. He is a member of numerous committee which include the Academic Senate, course coordinator for elementary statistics, chair of his department's mathematics mentoring program, and chair of the Senate's ad hoc subcommittee for artificial intelligence (AI), among others which center on student success initiatives and mentoring. Mr. Pineau is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Educational Studies with a focus on mentoring and support for STEM graduate teaching assistants in teaching.

Long bio

Richard Pineau has been active at Wayne State University since coming here for his undergraduate work in mathematics and secondary education in the fall of 2003. He is a first-generation college student. His journey into education did not really take hold until he participated in the Wayne State University Math Corps Summer Camp in the summer of 2004. In the subsequent years, he worked each summer as a college instructor, learning how to work with and manage students, but more importantly how to care about them and their success. Upon graduating in 2009, Richard was hired as the Assistant Program Coordinator and two years later, was named interim program coordinator. During those four years of full time work, he created a series of operations manuals, significantly improved the efficiency of the program, and mentored many students both in the program and here at Wayne State. Additionally, Richard obtained his Master's in Applied Mathematics and audited several more math classes after completion of the degree. He also holds a Master's of Public Administration with a Graduate Certificate in Economic Development. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Studies with a concentration in STEM. 

In the fall of 2013, Richard transitioned into a faculty role as a lecturer in the mathematics department. In August 2018, he was promoted to senior lecturer. With the ratification of the AAUP-AFT contract in September 2021, Richard was transitioned to the Associate Professor of Teaching rank, based on his years of service. Richard has been recognized for his teaching with induction into the Wayne State Academy of Teachers in August 2020, and being awarded the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching in April 2021. He is the first faculty member from the mathematics department to earn WSU's two highest teaching awards. Additionally, he was recognized as part of the first cohort to be given a General Education Teaching Award for his contributions to the General Education Program and his efforts towards inclusivity and diversity in the classroom. 

Richard has been active in many committees, serving his department, college and the university. A few notable assignments are listed below. 

Department

• Graduate teaching assistant (GTA) Mentor since fall 2014
• Elementary Statistics (STA 1020) course coordinator (Sept. 2015 - Dec. 2016, May 2021-present). In his first run in the position, he worked to standardize the course and write a common final. He also chaired a committee which selected a new textbook and courseware site. At present, he works to set-up the course each term, write the comprehensive final exam, and mentor instructors. 
• Elected to Department Salary Committee (2015-2018, 2020-2022)
• Elected to Department Personnel Committee as a first-ever consultant for teaching faculty promotions (2023-2024)
• Founding chair of our department's Marketing & Outreach Committee (Sept. 2017 - May 2022). We have worked to put together a department Facebook & Twitter page, program information flyers, visited area schools for recruitment, and have worked on compiling a department history and innovative marketing ideas
• Founding chair of the Mathemaitcs Department Mentoring Program (August 2021 - present). This program pairs undergraduates with industry mentors and is a partnership between our department and WSU's Development Office. 

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS)

• C.L.A.S. Representative on the Academic Senate (member of Curriculum & Instruction Subcommittee) Sept. 2017 - present
• Appointed to the C.L.A.S. Dean Search Advisory Committee (2017 - 2018 academic year)

University

• Chair, Academic Senate ad hoc Subcommittee for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cheating, February 2023 - present. Richard completed the AI Academy (October 2023) and received a certificate in AI teaching from Course Hero. He has presented his exeprience to various groups around campus and helped set a direction for how AI should be considered with things like policy and curriculum. 
• Coach for the Mandela Washington Young African Leaders Institute Fellowship, Summer 2022. Richard worked with Fellow Daniel Worku on his goal of establishing a career services center in his home country of Ethiopia. Richard repeated his role as a coach with Fellow Merapelo Lechaena on her goal of expanding literacy in Botswana. 
• Chair, Wayne State University Academy of Teachers (AoT), August 2021 – August 2022. Facilitate meetings, introduce a new organizational structure with workgroups, advance overall teaching mission of WSU.
• Vice Chair, Wayne State University Academy of Teachers (Aot), August 2022 - August 2023. 
• Academic Senate Subcommittee on Revision of the Academic Misconduct Provisions to the Student Code of Conduct, Jan. 2021- Sept. 2021. Appointed as a rep. of the Curriculum & Instruction Committee of the Senate, Richard worked to offer revisions to the code of conduct to allow for a faculty voice in the overall process. He also created a Canvas module on academic integrity that was disseminated to the university community
• President, WSU Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa - the nation's oldest honors society, August 2021 – present
• Integrated Learning Environment Advisory Council, May 2021 – present. This committee is a merger of the Classroom Improvement CORE Group and Technology Committee. This council is a cross-college and cross-departmental group consisting of faculty from each school and college and administrators in areas that are involved with learning environments on campus. The focus is on collaboration and communication about the Digital and Physical Classrooms
• COVID-19 Restart Committee: Human Resources Subcommittee (May 2020 - Sept. 2020). He served on the Policies, Procedures, & Regulatory Requirements Workgroup (reviewed and suggested updates to university policies related to working remotely) and on the Student & Temporary Employment Workgroup (created a handbook for a university-wide internship program). He was appointed by the Academic Senate's Policy Committee. 
• Inclusive Access Pilot Committee (June 2020 - Aug. 2021). The committee oversees the trial run of a program where students obtain access to course materials on the first day of classes. He was appointed by the Academic Senate's Policy Committee
• State Hall Design and Renovation Advisory Committee (Nov. 2020 - Aug. 2023). As a faculty representative, Richard provides input in the design considerations for classrooms and space in the renovation project for State Hall. He was appointed by the Academic Senate's Policy Committee. 
• In collaboration with CAPS Director Jeff Kuentzel, he produced two brochures on recognizing mental distress for dissemination to university community (sent via Provost on 2/15/2021)

AAUP-AFT Local 6075 (Union)

• Vice Chair of the Lecturer Steering Committee (May 2018 - May 2020)
• Chair, Outreach Subcommittee (Nov. 2019 - May 2020)

In addition to teaching, he was also very active at his church, St. Pio of Pietrelcina Catholic Church. He served (July 2013 - July 2020) as (founding) President of the Parish Council and have held several appointments on other committees in the parish. Additionally, he spearheaded a project to create a guidebook for Parish Mergers (part of the Archdiocese's restructuring efforts) that was presented to the Archbishop in October 2016. 

He is an avid Star Wars fan and Detroit sports fan. He enjoys fishing, biking, WWII history, and building with LEGO.

• Richard's teaching interests focus on student success. As his service and committee work shows, he has been active supporting students in a number of ways. He remains active in accessibiilty, student motivation, and student engagement work with several collaborators (a few examples below). He has also been known to experiment with some active learning strategies to help make mathematics a little less scary for his students. 
• Richard also contributed to the Office for Teaching and Learning's (OTL) Weekly Newsletter (11/19/20). The focus was on accessible course design. Link: OTL Accessibility (Featuring R.Pineau). As part of the April 2021 issue of Teaching@Wayne offered by the Office for Teaching & Learning (OTL), Richard was interviewed by Greg Steele on Trauma-Informed Teaching. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, and with teaching being handled online/remote, all instructors have had to address trauma-informed teaching in some way. This interview provides some great insights and information
• Richard produced an instructor and student curriculum book used as part of the WSU Mathematics Placement Exam Boot Camp for the summer of 2019. The books were revised ahead of the 2021 Boot Camp. In the spring of 2022, he developed remedial mathematics support materials for the elementary statistics course (STA 1020) which included an instructional video and assignments, the latter of which was a collaboration with colleauge Matthew Buckman
• Richard's Ph.D. focus will be on mentoring graduate students in teaching, with a focus on STEM disciplines

Papers presented

• Pineau, R., Ebenezer, J. (July 2021). Using Phenomenography to Understand STEM Doctoral Students’ Meaning-Making with Discussion Board Postings. Session presented virtually (live) at the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education’s EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2021 Online Conference
• Zopf, D., Özgün-Koca, S. A., Nazelli, C., & Pineau, R. (March, 2020). Developing Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching via the APEX Cycle. Session presented at the Michigan Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (MI-AMTE) Conversations Among Colleagues Conference. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan

Posters presented

• Pineau, R., Dormer, K. (July  2021). Accessibility Amid a Pandemic – A Faculty Perspective. Poster presented virtually (asynchronously) at the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education’s EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2021 Online Conference

Webinar presentations

• Pineau, R. (October, 2021). Teaching Portfolio for GTAs: What you need to know. Hosted by WSU’s OTL, this webinar was geared toward Graduate Students looking to put together their teaching portfolios in preparation for entering the job market
• Pineau, R. & Dormer, K. (February & September, 2021). Accessibility – A Faculty Story. Hosted by Wayne State University’s Office for Teaching and Learning (OTL), this webinar offered insights into accessibility from my perspective, as a faculty member. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University
• Pineau, R. & Thomas, J. (July, 2020). Syllabi for your online courses. Presented as part of the WSU Academy of Teachers Teaching Lounge, July 8, 2020 (offered through OTL). Detroit, MI: Wayne State University

Panel discussions

• Panelist for the Engaging Gen Ed Symposium panel discussion held on April 25, 2022. As a past recipient of the General Education Teaching Award (May 2021), I was asked to share best teaching practices with attendees. This was sponsored by the General Education Oversight Committee, Detroit, MI: Wayne State University
• Panelist for Integrating Lessons from Virtual Learning into F2F Classes faculty panel discussion held on September 28, 2021. This was sponsored by OTL and provided a reflection on the lessons learned from the online/remote learning environment resulting from COVID-19, and the current challenges given the pandemic is not over
• Panelist for Leveraging What We've Learned faculty panel discussion to be held on May 10, 2021. This is sponsored by OTL and will provide a reflection on the lessons learned from the online/remote learning environment resulting from COVID-19. Myself and the other 4 panelists are members of the WSU Academy of Teachers. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University
• Panelist for Engaging in a Mental Health Discussions faculty panel discussion held on November 6, 2020 and January 20, 2021 as part of the follow-up to the Mental Health day. This is to engage faculty in discussion about ways to support the mental health of students and help support students. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University
• Office for Teaching & Learning (OTL) Webinar Panelist (May, 2020): The Virtual Classroom: Supporting Our Students with Disabilities - a faculty-focused panel. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University

Interviews

• Interviewed for WSU’s Teaching@Wayne segment on Trauma-informed teaching by Office for Teaching & Learning (OTL), March, 2021. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University
• Interviewed for Office for Teaching & Learning Weekly Newsletter with a focus on accessibility best practices in the classroom, November 19, 2020. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University

Keynote addresses/lectures

• Pineau, R. Accessibility – A Faculty Story - presented to the MAT 5992 Graduate Teaching Assistants during the winter 2021 term. This presentation offered insights into accessibility and encouraged GTAs to employ the presented strategies to make their courses accessible for all students. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University
• Pineau, R. Teaching Portfolios – presented to the MAT 5992 Graduate Teaching Assistants during the fall 2017, 2018, 2019, and winter 2021 terms. The presentation covered all elements to a teaching portfolio including the teaching statement, diversity statement, tips on framing these statements, collecting artifacts, CVs and evaluation processes. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University
• Department of Mathematics New GTA Orientation Speaker, fall 2017, 2018, 2019. I provided some insight into the teaching environment at the university and in the department, discussed several important student services, and ways to get involved in and around campus
• Pineau, R. (October, 2013), Keynote address on Mentoring in the STEM fields for the College to Career Program, CLLAS, Detroit, MI: Wayne State University

Student Success Faculty Fellow for AY 2022-2023, given on November 8, 2023

Named an inspirational mentor by Phi Beta Kappa Initiates: Emily Pastor 2015, Farrah Dourra 2016, Andrew Yan 2017, Sydney Jansen 2020, Kenan Sinan 2021, Racquel Dunneback 2022.

General Education Teaching Award (1st cohort), April 12, 2021

President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, April 6, 2021

Inducted into Wayne State University Academy of Teachers, 2020-2021

Pi Alpha Alpha, 2014

Wladimir Seidel Award for Academic Excellence, 2011

David Mackenzie Honor Society, 2009

Phi Beta Kappa, 2009

• Working beyond the Mathematics Classroom
• Math faculty member helps prepare Warrior 360 students
• Mathematics dept. welcomes incoming freshmen
• The department's first virtual classroom visit
• New Mathematics Placement Exam Boot Camp helps first-year students succeed
• Accessibile course design for equitable online learning experiences 

Non-refereed journals

• Pineau, R., The View from Here: What Goes Around Comes Around, Math Horizons, Vol. 20 (2012)
• Pineau, R., Prime Reciprocal Periodicity, Math Horizons, Vol. 19 (2012)
• Pineau, R., Prime Reciprocal Periodicity, Math Horizons, Vol. 19 (2011)

 August 2019, completed the CITI Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course