Dr. Sarah R. Powell
is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Powell is currently Principal Investigator (PI) of an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) efficacy grant related to word problems and equation solving for third-grade students experiencing mathematics difficulties. Powell is also PI of an IES efficacy grant related to multi-step word-problem solving at fourth grade. Powell is PI of the Teaching Early Math by Providing Language Exploration (TEMPLE) project funded by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, PI of a Texas Education Agency network (Tiered Interventions using Evidence-based Research: TIER), co-PI of a National Science Foundation grant aimed at developing a science intervention for second-grade students with learning difficulties, co-PI of an Office of Special Education Programs model demonstration grant for middle school algebra readiness (Supporting Teaching of Algebra with Individual Readiness: STAIR), co-PI of an Office of Innovation and Improvement grant about kindergarten computational thinking through music, and co-PI of a EF+Math grant funded by the NewSchools Venture Fund (My Math Stories). Powell was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2019. Powell's research interests include developing and testing interventions for students with mathematics difficulties, with a special emphasis on peer tutoring, word-problem solving, mathematics writing, and the symbols and vocabulary within mathematics.