For Dr. Michaele Chappell, her decades-long career as an academic resembles a remarkable journey of “wearing math hats,” a reflection of the many roles she experienced over the years. Encouraged by her teachers to excel in her mathematics courses throughout middle and high school, Michaele began her career in the early 80s as a high school mathematics teacher in Georgia. While teaching, Michaele went on to earn her Master’s degree in Mathematics from Georgia Southern University and landed the position of adjunct instructor of mathematics. 

In 1986, Michaele began her doctoral program in Mathematics Education as a McKnight Ph.D. Fellow at Florida State University. Following graduation, she joined the faculty ranks at the University of South Florida, where she worked for more than ten years before joining the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University. Of the eighteen years she taught at MTSU, Dr. Chappell served as chair of her department for two. 

“Throughout my 38-year journey in education, my research and scholarly interests targeted improving math achievement for learners of color; promoting the professional development of teachers; and incorporating the Arts to learn science-related disciplines, commonly referenced as STEAM.”

Over the course of her academic trajectory, Dr. Chappell exhibited a strong commitment to graduate studies by assisting and mentoring over 100 individuals through their Master’s programs, as well as 20 doctoral candidates. Among her accomplishments are further developing existing programs, helping launch a new doctoral program, co-authoring a teacher resource book, Math, Culture & Popular Media, and presenting her work at numerous conferences across the United States, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea. 

Later in her career, Dr. Chappell saw the possibility of expanding her work beyond what she called the ” classroom walls” and “university border”, and centered her attention on a new venture, LCG Education Associates LLC, her own educational consulting firm.  

“In 2006, I launched the business, which offers educational support services and tailored professional development training; LCG also provides voiceover and on-camera artists for corporate/industrial virtual learning projects.”

Dr. Chappell joined the Saylor team in August 2021 to collaborate on updating our College Algebra course. In her words, “The course itself is a gateway, permitting critical thinking in many areas beyond mathematics; therefore, I was delighted to contribute to it in the ways that I did.”

Our math courses, as with any other self-paced course, require motivation and persistence. To help you achieve your goals, here is a pro tip from Dr. Chappell herself: Be diligent, disciplined, and tenacious about your studies. Persevere and finish what you start. 

“Enrolling in Saylor’s courses is like making an investment into your own life; this investment of time and effort will eventually enhance and enrich your life in unimaginable ways.”


Want to learn more about the people behind Saylor Academy and our mission to provide free education to all? Check out our other employee interviews here and learn more about our mission here!