Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum

Dr. Cacey Wells is an associate professor of mathematics education in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at Appalachian State University. He earned both his Ph.D. and M.Ed. from the University of Oklahoma. Boomer Sooner!

Prior to coming to Appalachian State, Cacey taught high school mathematics for six years in San Antonio, Texas, and served as a professional development coordinator at the University of Oklahoma’s K20 Center for three before joining the college's faculty in 2019.

His research areas focus on mathematics education, authenticity, recreational mathematics, learning spaces, and teaching mathematics for social change. He is a member of the School Science and Mathematics Association and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

In 2021, Dr. Wells received the college's Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. 

When not teaching courses or exploring ideas in the office, you can generally find Cacey fly fishing around the High Country or hiking a trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway with is family.

Selected Publications

• Wells, C. (2022). The fractal geometry of mathematics education: Navigating classroom environments in factory-model schools. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics. 12(2), 429-442. doi: 10.5642/jhummath.XXVA3028
• Wells, C. & Reeder, S. (2022). The other first days of school: A case study of two teachers in an urban setting. Journal of Learning Spaces. 11(1), 1-12.
• Wells, C. (2021). Math is tearable: Engaging students with recreational mathematics. In Kishor Vaidya (Ed.), Teaching mathematics with a sense of humor: Why (and how to) be a funnier and more effective mathematics teacher and laugh all the way to your classroom. Curious Academic Publishing.

Learn more about Dr. Wells and his work through his digital Curriculum Vitae.