Education & Training
Dr Apriel Hodari | Dr Angela Johnson – Mitigating Challenges Faced by Women of Colour in Physics
Women of colour face many obstacles in their pursuit of STEM education and employment, especially in the field of physics. Dr Apriel Hodari, Principal Investigator at Eureka Scientific, and Dr Angela Johnson of Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, have been working on strategies to remove these barriers. Their solution involves significant cultural change within an institution, catalysed by strong leadership at the top.
Professor Mikhail Prokopenko – Mastering Complex Systems: Predicting the Unpredictable
Many of the greatest challenges currently facing humanity, such as climate change and effective urbanisation, are multifaceted and intricate, with multiple moving parts. Complex systems analysts pull data and insights from diverse components to generate dynamic…
Dr Susan Assouline | Dr Lori Ihrig – The STEM Excellence and Leadership Program
Recognising students with great potential and supporting them in their academic endeavours is of utmost importance, particularly for disadvantaged children from rural areas or low-income families. Dr Susan Assouline and Dr Lori Ihrig, at the University of Iowa’s...
Dr Jerrod Henderson | Ricky Greer – It’s Full STEM Ahead in After-School Programs
Underrepresented is not often the thought that comes to mind when describing males in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). However, there are striking gender and ethnic disparities across STEM fields as white males disproportionately occupy the...
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation promotes academic cooperation between excellent scientists and scholars from abroad and from Germany. To this end, it grants more than 700 research fellowships and research awards annually. These allow researchers from all over...
Professor Farin Kamangar | Professor Payam Sheikhattari – Beginning the Ascent
Diversity of outlook is essential for any scientific endeavour. Improving this diversity is the goal of the ASCEND Program, led by Professors Farin Kamangar and Payam Sheikhattari at Morgan State University, USA. Here, we showcase their work aiming to improve the...
Dr Susan Cozzens – Integrating Team Science into the STEM Graduate Training Experience
Over the past few decades, research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has experienced a major shift towards collaboration. On a quest to prepare graduate students for today’s team-based research environments, Dr Susan Cozzens at Georgia...
Professor Ingrid Miethe – The Workers’ Faculty: The Globalisation of Soviet Education
The borrowing and lending of educational models between nations has a long and interesting history. However, much of modern literature focuses on transfers between capitalist societies. Professor Ingrid Miethe of the University of Gießen studies the global transfer of...
Dr Alexis Vogt – OPT IN! – Generating Experts in the Field of Optics
Optics is an intrinsic part of many powerful and developing technologies in areas such as biotechnology, national security and manufacturing. However, there is a global shortage of optics technicians, which is hindering progress. To address this, Dr Alexis Vogt of...
Dr Daniel J. McGarvey | Sarah E. Faris – An Arts-based Approach to Science Communication Training
Rapid growth in the number and diversity of digital media outlets is creating novel opportunities to increase public engagement with science. Dr Daniel J. McGarvey and Sarah E. Faris, working at Virginia Commonwealth University, have developed an interdisciplinary...
Dr Rebecca Matz | Dr Sonia Underwood | Dr Kristin Parent – A Three-Dimensional Approach to Connecting Biology & Chemistry
Applying knowledge from one discipline to another is an oft-cited goal for undergraduate students. However, in many universities, science courses are taught essentially in isolation and do not provide adequate opportunities for students to connect their knowledge...
Dr Charles Wray – Teaching the Genome Generation
Since the release of the first human genome, our understanding of genetics has grown significantly. However, keeping up with developments in the field can be overwhelming for students, and even teachers. Dr Charles Wray of The Jackson Laboratory has created a unique...
Dr Pankaj Sharma – Inspiring Students at The Duke Energy Academy at Purdue
A secure and sustainable energy supply for the future depends upon communities and industries working together. To facilitate this, a skilled STEM workforce is needed. To that end, Dr Pankaj Sharma a courtesy professor at Purdue University and his colleagues have...
Dr Pankaj Sharma – Teachers Inspired by the Duke Energy Academy (DEAP)
Much of the responsibility of improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has fallen upon teachers. However, it is often just assumed that they have the tools and skills needed to fulfil that responsibility. Dr Pankaj Sharma a courtesy...
Professor Pankaj Sharma – A Short Interdisciplinary Summer Course in Sustainable Development
The survival of humanity relies upon the sustainable use of natural systems that provide food, energy, and water. However, the growth in the world’s population and human activities that generate pollution are posing serious sustainability challenges to these systems....
DREAM STEM: Driving Entrepreneurship & Academic Success
Identity as a scientist and entrepreneurial thinking are critical for students of STEM to succeed, both in their college-based education and their careers. In recognition of this, a team of researchers from North Carolina Central University has developed DREAM STEM –...
Dr Jessica Hunt – Illuminating Fractional Reasoning for Students with Learning Disabilities
Floods devastate communities across the globe. A single flood disaster can cause the loss of thousands of lives, and the displacement of millions of people. The devastating effect is exacerbated by the difficulty in monitoring floods and evaluating the information to make the best responsive decisions. To help communities and emergency response teams better predict and prepare for flooding events, Dr Guy J-P Schumann and his team at Remote Sensing Solutions in collaboration with the Dartmouth Flood Observatory (DFO) have harnessed remote sensing technology to develop an advanced user-friendly universal flood monitoring and prediction system.
Dr Kanesa Duncan Seraphin – Voice of the Sea: Innovation in Science Communication
Communicating science to the public is a difficult undertaking; communicating it in a way that encourages people to change their behaviour is a rare achievement. With her television series Voice of the Sea, Dr Kanesa Duncan Seraphin has produced an innovative program...
ISLE – Shifting Student Outcomes with the Investigative Science Learning Environment
Devising novel ways to engage students in science courses is a long-standing goal of many educators, but even the best applications of traditional teaching methods often fall short. A team of scientists, led by Professor Eugenia Etkina, has developed a novel method...
Dr Elahé Crockett – The REPID Program – Increasing Diversity in Biomedical Research
Dr Elahé Crockett and colleagues at Michigan State University have developed the Research Education Program to Increase Diversity in health researchers (REPID) program to train students from underrepresented, minority and disadvantaged backgrounds in the basic and...
Engendering Faculty and Student Engagement in STEM Education: An Institutional Model
An interdisciplinary team at the School of Science and Technology, the School of Education, and the School of Liberal Arts at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), are increasing student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) courses, through...
Professor Raphael DiLuzio – Infusing Creative Thinking into STEM Education
Creative thinking is the source of most great human inventions, works of art, and discoveries made throughout history. Professor Raphael DiLuzio, working at the University of Southern Maine (USM), is an artist who bridges traditional painting and drawing praxis with...
Outcomes of Gender Summit 11, Co-hosted by NSERC
From November 6 to 8, 2017, more than 675 advocates of gender equity from across many different fields in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) took part in Gender Summit 11, in Montreal, Quebec. Co-hosted by the Natural Sciences and Engineering...
Dr Katie Davis – Connecting Diverse Learning Experiences
Students often have experiences outside of school with real academic value. It can be difficult, however, to demonstrate this value and have it recognised by educational institutions and employers. The digital badge platform developed by Dr Katie Davis and colleagues...
Dr Mia Dubosarsky – Seeds of STEM: Developing an Innovative Early Childhood Curriculum
Introducing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to younger generations has become a key priority for many researchers, educators, and policy makers. Dr Mia Dubosarsky of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts, Dr Florencia Anggoro...
SOONER – Fundamental and Applied Research on Open Online Education in the Netherlands
The number of individuals engaging with open online learning is rapidly growing because this form of learning is a flexible means of education that can be adapted to a wide range of different circumstances. Through the SOONER (www.sooner.nu) project, Prof. Dr. Marco...
Professor Kevin Ahern | Dr. Chelsea Wolk | Stephanie Ramos – Diversifying and Retaining STEM Leaders for the Future
The growing significance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is not currently being matched by an appropriate level of variation in student demographics. Professor Kevin Ahern, Chelsea Wolk and Stephanie Ramos of Oregon State University are...
Dr Yier Jin | Dr Cliff Zou – Cyberforensic.net – Training Many to Fight Cyber Crime
People are sharing more personal information online than ever before. It is essential, therefore, that robust security and privacy systems are in place to protect it. Furthermore, experts in the field of cybersecurity are essential. Drawing on their extensive research...
Professor James McClelland – A Different Tangent to Teaching Trigonometry
Learning trigonometry is a challenge for many high-school students, impeding their access to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Dr James McClelland, a professor of cognitive science at Stanford University, California, has been working to...
Dr J. Reid Schwebach – The RADSS Program: Encouraging and Supporting Rural Students
Rural youth often lack the financial resources needed to study at university. In fact, their path to higher education is brimming with obstacles. Through the Rural and Diverse Student Scholars (RADSS) program, Dr J. Reid Schwebach and his team at George Mason...
Dr John Coleman – Focusing on the Problem in STEM Education
The modern workforce needs to be more science educated than ever, yet the number of students in higher education enrolled in scientific subjects has not increased. Dr John Coleman at Langston University, Oklahoma, is developing novel methods for teaching scientific...
Dr Suzanna Rose – Addressing Inequality in Education
The underrepresentation of women and minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields of employment and study is a widespread and serious issue in academia. Dr Suzanna Rose of Florida International University (FIU) is breaking...