Education & Training
NIGMS – Leading the Way in STEM Education & Training
Established in 1962, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is one of the 27 Centers, Institutes and Offices within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – the primary medical research agency of the US Government. In addition to supporting basic...
Professor Margaret Bailey – Seeds of Change – Promoting STEM Careers for Women
Gender disparity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at the highest levels of universities remains prevalent, despite consistent increases in the numbers of female students entering many of these fields as undergraduates. Professor Margaret...
Professor Michelle Bower | Professor Abigail Littlefield – Building STEM Opportunities for Students Who Learn Differently
As one of only two post-secondary institutions in the United States exclusively serving students with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders and those on the autism spectrum, Landmark College has a reputation for excellence in education. Professors...
DITLE – The Future of Engagement in Information Technology
As many industries, government agencies and community organisations incorporate Information Technology solutions into their business process, the need for skilled diverse talent continues to grow. A dedicated team at the University of Cincinnati is addressing this...
Dr Nicola Sochacka | Dr Joachim Walther | Dr Shari Miller – Fostering Empathy in Engineering Education
Past research has found that engineering students graduate with less concern for the welfare of the public, and for the social implications of engineering design, than when they begin their studies. To address this issue, researchers from the University of Georgia...
Dr Mary Ann Jacobs | Dr Zahra Shahbazi – Engineering STAR: Collaboration Between Engineers and Educators
The Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS) requires teachers to incorporate engineering principles into their course curriculum, even if they are not professionally trained on the subject. Dr Mary Ann Jacobs and Dr Zahra Shahbazi have developed a programme...
Dr Mark D. Hayward | Dr Jennifer Karas Montez – Education and Health Disparity Across the US
Adults living in certain US states suffer from more illnesses, more disability, and die sooner than residents of others. Dr Mark D. Hayward of the University of Texas at Austin and Dr Jennifer Karas Montez of Syracuse University are investigating these differences in...
Professor Etta Kralovec – Inspiring Science Teachers in the Arizona Borderlands
Recruiting and retaining high quality STEM educators in high schools can be a struggle, and even more so in under-served communities of the United States, such as the school districts that fall along the US/Mexico border. Professor Etta Kralovec at The University of...
Dr Lori Silverman – Harnessing Mobile Technology to Improve Student Retention
Dr Lori Silverman, an expert in education and student retention, is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Colytix. The company, founded in 2016, is developing innovative tools for higher education students to improve success and retention rates in class, while...
Dr Kelly McDonald | Dr Thomas Landerholm – Making Researchers of STEM Undergraduates
The Sustainable Interdisciplinary Research to Inspire Undergraduate Success (SIRIUS) Project provides STEM undergraduates with practical research experience to better prepare and encourage them in their STEM pursuits. Dr Kelly McDonald and Dr Thomas Landerholm of...
Dr Melanie Van Stry – Challenging Students to Reach Further in Scientific Education
Associate Professor of Biology at Lane College, Dr Melanie Van Stry is undertaking educational and scientific research to support students in achieving their maximum academic potential. Her goals are to increase student retention and to improve learning and scientific...
Dr Justyna Widera-Kalinowska – Collaborating for a Cleaner Future
The greatest challenges facing humanity over the next decades involve finding renewable sources of energy and finding ways to restore natural resources such as clean water that have been polluted by industrialisation. Dr Justyna Widera-Kalinowska of Adelphi University...
Ocean Tracks – A Journey Through the Ocean: A Modern Approach to Science Education
Research in the sciences is currently undergoing a massive transformation, as technological advancements shift big data into the forefront of investigative tools, and early education is looking for solutions to keep up. The Ocean Tracks program offers a structured...
Jan N. Hughes and Stephen G. West – The High Cost of Grade Retention
Holding students back a year sets them up for dropping out of school. Young adults who drop out are at higher risk for social and health problems later in life. Professors Jan N. Hughes and Stephen G. West of Texas A&M University and Arizona State University,...
Dr Yu-Ju Kuo | Dr Frederick Adkins – S-COAM: Supporting Students in STEM Education
A report by the US National Science Foundation found that the State of Pennsylvania ranks below the national average on the proportion of mathematics, science, and engineering degrees conferred to students. The Scholarships-Creating Opportunities for Applying...
Professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton – Investigating Disparities in Higher Education Environments
Increasing diversity among STEM students is extremely important when it comes to training the workforce of the future. Professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, a professor and social psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, has been carrying out extensive...
Dr Maureen Conroy | Dr Kevin Sutherland – BEST in CLASS: Improving Interactions Between Teachers and Students
Young students who exhibit problematic behaviours in school often fail to fully benefit from their educational experiences and can have adjustment problems later in life. Dr Maureen Conroy at the University of Florida and Dr Kevin Sutherland at Virginia Commonwealth...
Dr Andy Frey – Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviours
Children with disruptive behaviours require intensive support in school. Dr Andy Frey, professor at the University of Louisville, has been developing and evaluating interventions that could help these children to begin their school years positively and successfully....
Dr Fern Tsien – Roadmap for Success: Increasing Diversity in the Biological Sciences
Historically, there has been a disparity between the demographics found in the broader population and in academia. Women and many minority groups are underrepresented in science careers. Dr Fern Tsien at Louisiana State University is directing educational programs in...
Dr. Andrea Holmes | Dr. Christina Wilson – Big Student Experiences in Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is poised to be one of the most critical technologies of the near future, yet exposure to nanotechnology techniques is limited for many college students. Dr. Andrea Holmes and Dr. Christina Wilson of Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, are partnering...
Dr John Monahan – The Modern Blanket Toss: Expanding Horizons in Alaska
The Modern Blanket Toss program offers students attending high school in Alaska, the chance to engage in a series of learning activities using drones – focusing on the wellbeing of local communities. Dr John Monahan of the University of Alaska Fairbanks describes...
Jesse M. Heines | Daniel A. Walzer – Teaching a Computer to Sing
As technology permeates more and more aspects of our daily lives, computer literacy and computer programming skills are more valuable than ever in the workplace. Professors Jesse Heines and Daniel Walzer of the University of Massachusetts Lowell are working at the...
Professor David Williamson Shaffer – Transforming Big Data into Meaningful Insights: Introducing Quantitative Ethnography
In the information age, humans produce data at an extraordinary rate, offering social scientists an opportunity to study our behaviour in a manner unprecedented in human history. In his new book Quantitative Ethnography, learning scientist Professor David Williamson...
Philosophy and Science Meet at Humboldt University Berlin
A new program at Humboldt University Berlin encourages academic discussion about Greek, Roman and Arabic models of knowledge and the intersection of philosophy and science. Georgia-Maria (Giouli) Korobili, Benjamin Wilck, Gonzalo Gamarra Jordan and Juliane Küppers are...
Dr Lisa Hibbard – Actively Learning Chemistry: Blended Classes for First Year College Students
Flipped learning is an exciting new educational strategy aimed at maximising learning by delivering the content of courses online, while focusing classroom time on student-centred active learning tasks. Dr Lisa Hibbard at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA has been...
Students Using Nanotechnology to Solve the World’s Greatest Challenges
The field of engineering is central to innovations across science and technology, yet many college students show a lack of interest in pursuing engineering careers. Educators at Auburn University are developing innovative educational modules that engage students in...
Professor Lisa Dierker – Falling in Love with Statistics: Shaping Students’ Relationships with Data
Statistical data analysis is a cornerstone of the sciences and operates as a shared language across disparate fields, from neuroscience to astronomy. However, current curricula often result in disengaged and stressed students who struggle to connect the concepts of...
The RAPP Center: Searching for Answers in Plasma-Astroparticle Physics
The Ruhr Astroparticle and Plasma Physics (RAPP) Center was established in 2015 by Professor Julia Tjus and her colleagues within the University Alliance Ruhr – a collaboration between the three universities of the Ruhr area: Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Technische...
The National Science Teachers Association
Founded in 1944, the Virginia-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest organisation in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. In this exclusive interview, we talk to Executive Director of...
Dr Edmund Gordon | Dr Cynthia Mc Callister – Centring Students and Changing the Landscape of Classroom Education
Recent advances in science have demonstrated that human learning and thinking are highly social processes, governed by the learner’s ability to manage attention and effort. Drs Edmund Gordon and Cynthia McCallister propose an approach to education that centres the...
Dr Edward Maibach – Climate Matters: A Novel Approach to Educating Americans About Humanity’s Greatest Challenge
Over the past few decades, global climate change has emerged as the preeminent issue facing modern society. In many countries around the world, climate change is shifting weather patterns for the worse, with impacts predicted to grow increasingly more erratic and...
The European Federation of Geologists: Shaping the Future of Geoscience Through Outreach and Education
The European Federation of Geologists (EFG) is a non-governmental organisation representing over 50,000 geoscience professionals from 25 countries. Founded in 1981, EFG was established with the aim to work towards the safer and more sustainable use of the natural...