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DUNWOODY, Ga. — When Dr. C. Rett McBride needed a research proposal for a class in his Ph.D. program, he found his answer in his life as a volunteer.
McBride was pursuing a Ph.D. in Math Education. He volunteered at the Center for the Visually Impaired in midtown Atlanta. McBride was inspired to put the two together, proposing that he research math education for visually impaired students.
That research remains a central focus for the educator recently recognized as the 2025 Faculty Professional Development Award at Perimeter College.
“I soon discovered,” he said, “there was limited existing research on the intersection of math education and visual impairment education, and the more I searched and studied, the more I became interested in the intersection of these fields.”
The small, but dedicated community of teachers and researchers in the field warmly welcomed McBride when he reached out to them. In 2020, he was invited to collaborate on two national studies through the American Foundation for the Blind, which led to close working relationships with leading researchers in the field, as well as other collaborations. He continues to research the experiences of students with visual impairments and the development of accessible materials and technology in mathematics education.
McBride teaches mathematics on the Dunwoody Campus. He first taught as an adjunct at Perimeter College from 2010 to 2016. He had received his undergraduate degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University (now Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus)He went on to earn his master’s degree in statistics from Georgia Tech and received his Ph.D. in Math Education from the University of Georgia. He returned to the college as a tenure track assistant professor in fall of 2020.
Over the past five years, McBride has co-authored five articles in peer-reviewed journals and was first author on one of the papers. He has presented at four professional conferences.
“I can personally attest to his dedication to work for an underserved and often neglected segment of our population,” said Dr. Barrett Walls, associate chair of Dunwoody mathematics at Perimeter College. “Both the quality and quantity of his research is an inspiration to our department.”
Originally from Ohio, McBride credits teachers early in his life for tailoring curriculum to his pace, patiently answering endless “why?” questions and masterfully leading students to their own “aha” moments.
“I think they were ahead of their time in their approach to teaching math,” he said, “These experiences taught me the value of individualized instruction and guiding students to a personal understanding of concepts.”
“As I look ahead, my goals remain rooted in continuous growth and shared knowledge, ensuring my students and peers can benefit from new insights and methodologies in mathematics instruction.”
Story by Christy Petterson
Photo by Bill Roa