Usha Kotelawala began her career as a high school mathematics teacher in Seattle and subsequently in New York City. She also worked for the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications, editing materials and leading professional development. Her work included coaching teachers in high-need areas. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia in 2007 and then taught future teachers at Fordham while also directing an NSF Noyce Grant and publishing in a range of topics from teacher collaboration to conjecturing in the classroom. Recently, she was selected to write a curriculum for struggling 12th-grade students through a grant entitled the Transition Course Initiative, funded by New York State. This curriculum, along with her 10-day professional development sequence, is currently used by over 80 high schools. She currently manages JRMF’s Math On the Border program in NYC and works as an educational consultant with high-need schools.