Roger Howe has been teaching and doing research in the Mathematics Department at Yale University for over 30 years. He is currently the William Kenan Jr. Professor of Mathematics. His mathematical research investigates symmetry and its applications. He has held visiting positions at many universities and research institutes in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In 1997-98, he served as a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.

He also devotes substantial attention to issues of mathematics education. He has served on a multitude of committees, including those for several of the major reports on mathematics education of the past decade. He has reviewed mathematics texts and other instructional materials at all levels from first grade through college. He has served as a member and as chair of the Committee on Education of the American Mathematical Society. He served on the Steering Committee of the Park City/IAS Mathematics Institute and has helped to organize a series of meetings at Park City devoted to increasing the contribution of mathematicians in mathematics education, especially, refining understanding of the mathematical issues in K-12 mathematics curricula. He is currently a member of the U.S. National Committee on Mathematics Instruction. In 2006, he received the Award for Distinguished Public Service from the American Mathematical Society.