Laurette Blakey Foster

Dr. Laurette Blakey Foster has devoted more than five decades to higher education as Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Prairie View A&M University, a hub for faculty development and innovation. A leader in teaching, mentoring, and curriculum design, she helped advance gateway mathematics reform with the United States Military Academy and the HBCU Mathematics Consortium, then trained faculty nationwide in delivery models to improve student success. Her disciplinary service includes a five-year appointment with Educational Testing Service developing SAT Mathematics Subject Test questions. She has received the Texas A&M Chancellor's Faculty Award for teaching excellence multiple times.

At Prairie View A&M, Dr. Foster leads initiatives including Reach and Achieve with a Mentor, ACUE, Coursera micro-credentials, NCFDD programming, and grant and publication support. She served on the university's accreditation CORE team and AI policy committees. She has authored several books, most recently co-editing The Crucial Conversation: Educating Through an Anti-Racist Lens.

Her research and national service include Co-PI work on grants expanding pathways for minority STEM teachers, reviewer and external evaluator for funded projects, and advisory board member for the Washington Center National Summer Institute on Learning Communities. In 2021, the HBCU Faculty Development Network honored her with a lifetime achievement award for her service as Executive Director. A Virginia native and graduate of Virginia State University and the University of Houston, she serves on the HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest Board of Trustees and is a proud mother of two and grandmother of three.