Glenda Lappan received her doctorate in Mathematics and Education from the University of Georgia in 1965 and since has been at Michigan State University. From 1989–91 she was on leave to serve as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. From 1997–2001 she was on leave to serve as President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Her research and development interests are in the connected areas of students’ learning of mathematics and mathematics teacher professional growth and change at the middle and secondary levels. She has published over a hundred scholarly papers and numerous books for middle grades students and teachers. She is currently the Director of the Connected Mathematics Project 2, which was funded by the National Science Foundation to develop a second iteration of CMP I, a complete middle school mathematics curriculum for teachers and for students. Also, she is Co-PI for the NSF funded Center for the Study of Mathematic Curriculum. She served as the Chair of the grades 5–8 writing group for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989), and as Chair of the Commission that developed the NCTM Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (1991). She served as President of NCTM during the development and release of the 2001 NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. She is past Chair of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences and Vice Chair of the US National Commission on Mathematics Instruction. From 1997–1999 she served on the Advisory Board for Education and Human Resources at the National Science Foundation. From 1996 to 2003, she was appointed by the Secretary of Education to the National Education Research Policy and Priorities Board for the Department of Education. In 1993 she received a Distinguished Faculty Award from Michigan State University and the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics Service Award. In 1996 she received the Association of Women in Mathematics Louise Hay Award for outstanding contributions to Mathematics Education and in 1997 she received the Meritorious Faculty award from the College of Natural Science Alumni Association at Michigan State University. In 1998 she was honored by Michigan State University as a University Distinguished Professor. In 2001 she received the George Eastman Medal for Excellence in Mathematics Education from the University of Rochester. In 2004 she was awarded the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Lifetime Achievement Medal.