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OBU—Oklahoma Baptist University
Dr. Krista B. Hands
Dr. Krista B. Hands

Dr. Krista B. Hands

Professor of Mathematics

Biography

Dr. Krista Hands joined OBU in Fall 2010. Prior to being at OBU, Dr. Hands was at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Dr. Hands has presented several talks at the Ohio MAA Meeting, Ohio Council of Teachers Meeting, the Oklahoma/Arkansas MAA Meeting and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Meeting. She has published articles in mathematics pedagogy regarding teaching business calculus and students’ preference for difficult classes. She served as the Mathematics Department Chair Fall 2013 – Spring 2016 and is the University Supervisor for Secondary Mathematics Education majors. She and her husband, Jeff, and their children attend Oakcliff Church of the Nazarene, where Jeff serves as the Lead Pastor.

Dr. Hands continues to attend national mathematics meetings and enjoys teaching courses in mathematics education, geometry, algebra, and calculus. She also has a passion for Ethiopia and for adoption, which permanently affected the Hands family with their adoption of their son in 2008. The Hands adopted two teens in 2016 from the state and two more children from foster care in 2021. In addition, they have hosted international students in their home since 2013.

Because of her passion to see the lonely find a place in a family, she was the sponsor for the Ethiopia GO Trips during Summer 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, & 2023. In Spring 2016, she and her husband also helped to found a 501C3 organization, Mission 10:10, operating in Ethiopia to help orphans and street children by placing them in Christian families and to help those in the community still with their families to have the basic support needed to feed their family send their kids to school. Both Dr. Hands and her husband hold positions on the board for this organization and Dr. Hands led Mission 10:10 mission trips to Ethiopia in 2016, 2017, 2019, & 2022.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Mathematics from The University of Oklahoma
  • M.A. in Mathematics Education from The University of Kansas
  • B.S. in Mathematics from Southern Nazarene University

Subjects Taught

  • Mathematics Education courses for Elementary/Middle Grade Pre-service Teachers
  • Service Courses for general mathematics requirements
  • Calculus Courses
  • Secondary Mathematics Methods

Professional Memberships

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Awards and Honors

  • Information Technology Gold Award for Exemplary Use of Educational Technology (Spring 2015)

Selected Presentations

  • Presentation at National Council of Teachers of Mathematics entitled “Engaging Students in Class by Flipping Things Around", Kansas City, MO (Nov 2018)
  • Presentation at National Council of Teachers of Mathematics entitled “Tablet Teaching in Class and Online”, Phoenix, AZ (Nov 2016)
  • Presentation at Oklahoma/Arkansas Mathematics Association of America entitled “Reflections on Teaching Online Courses” with Dr. Sarah Marsh, Tulsa, OK (April 2015)
  • Presentation at Oklahoma/Arkansas Mathematics Association of America entitled “Enhancing Teaching with an IPad”,” Stillwater, OK (April 2013)
  • Presentation at Oklahoma/Arkansas Mathematics Association of America entitled “Helping Tutors, Helping Students” with Dr. Sarah Marsh and Shannon Griffith, Arkadelphia, AR (March 2012)

Additional Information

  • Currently 4,109 YouTube Videos recorded and published on YouTube accessible for the public, currently 6,065 subscribers and 1,102,650 viewings for a total of 92,207 hours watched (as of 5/4/23)