She earned her B.S.Ed. in Middle and Secondary Mathematics Education, and her M.S.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from The University of Kansas. She attended Kansas State University where she earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in K-16 Mathematics Education. Dr. Gawlik taught high school mathematics before she entered into higher education where she has taught mathematics and education courses at junior colleges and universities. Dr. Gawlik actively presents at national and regional conferences about mathematics education and has collaborative projects with local K-12 teachers.