Curriculum & Instruction Professor Emeritus Kenneth Travers passed away on March 23, 2026, in Chicago.
Travers was an expert in mathematics education. In 1976, the College of Education became the coordinating center for the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s Second International Mathematics, with Travers serving as Director. He served as the inaugural director and later as director emeritus of the Office for Mathematics, Science, & Technology Education (MSTE). Ken’s work took him around the world and into the heart of educational research and policy. He held a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, contributed to international studies of mathematics education across 20 countries, and served as a founding director at the National Science Foundation.
Travers received his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from the University of Illinois in 1965 and joined the faculty the same year. He remained at Illinois for his entire career until his retirement in 2002. He served in an emeritus position from 2002 until his death.
A celebration of life will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Faith United Methodist Church, 1719 S. Prospect Ave., Champaign
