Alumni Spotlight: Lanre Oriowo, Ph.D. ’24
Ollanrewaju “Lanre” Oriowo has always loved stories. One of her favorites is One Thousand and One Nights, the tale of Scheherazade, who used storytelling as a means of survival. Having encountered the story through retellings, she expected a neatly structured narrative. Instead, the book unfolded like an onion – with stories within stories, each requiring context that became a story of its own, much like her own story.
On Thursday, February 5, 2026, Oriowo was presented with the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) 2026 Dissertation Award in Portland, Oregon. This moment was one within a cascade of stories, one of which had begun at UNC Charlotte in 2019. She cried when she was accepted into the Ph.D. program in curriculum & instruction with a concentration in urban mathematics education. She had applied late, recalling the university because a colleague she trusted, Shirley Farrar, had worked there years earlier and often spoke of it with fondness, an endorsement Oriowo took seriously.
Few people knew that in 2009, Oriowo had turned down a different doctoral program because she recognized it was not aligned with her aspirations. Ten years later, however, she was certain of what she wanted. One day, while sitting in her car in the parking lot at Central State University in Ohio, she received a notification about an application decision. Having already been rejected by several other programs, she fully expected UNC Charlotte to do the same and had resolved to apply the following year again rather than give up.
The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction program was a refining experience for Oriowo. She had always been a storyteller and listener by nature, but through the program, she shaped those instincts into a purposeful practice that she now embraces daily in her role as a mathematics faculty member at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. She often reflects on whether she could have achieved this without instructors who challenged her. She may not have had the courage to submit her dissertation for an award if concentration coordinator Allison McCulloch had not encouraged her to present her research even before Oriowo had asked her to serve as chair. At times, it was McCulloch’s belief in her work that sustained Oriowo before she fully believed in it herself.
Her committee members, including faculty members Antony Fernandes, Brittany Anderson, and Michelle Stephan, were chosen because she trusted them to challenge her while also nurturing her growth beyond that of a researcher. Coming from a culture where honorifics often create social distance, Oriowo was repeatedly surprised when Tina Heafner, the Ph.D. program director, took a personal interest in her research and progress; she found herself wondering why the director knew her by name. This belief and support, along with that of many faculty, staff, and administrative assistants, made it possible for Oriowo to access the opportunities and experiences that ultimately led to the award.
When she learned about the award, her family, friends, and growing circle of mentors, including Mortenous Johnson, Conrad Zagory Jr., Shirley Farrar, and Olufunke Adefope all reacted in kind: in praise of her. On the day she accepted the award, she stood on stage in a room filled with both emerging and experienced researchers. Members of the selection committee congratulated her and commended her work.
Nigerian doctoral students also expressed excitement at seeing their Nigerian name attached to the honor, and researchers whose work had informed her dissertation offered their recognition. The moment felt surreal, bringing with it many more stories, though those she would save for another day.
by Lanre Oriowo and Ayah Alkhatib