STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In 2012, the White House issued a national interagency goal to graduate 1 million more STEM majors over the next decade. This followed a detailed report about STEM at the undergraduate level from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). We can work toward this goal at OU by encouraging students with STEM interests to persist in their degree plan, particularly during their transition to college and their first two years at OU. We can also look for ways to bring broader participation in STEM by students who traditionally are underrepresented in these programs, and also support faculty and graduate students in the STEM fields toward successful careers.
Some of my STEM activities:
Course Innovation Project (CIP). A team from the Math Department has received a CIP award from the Center for Teaching Excellence to redesign the introductory course MATH 1523 - Trigonometry and Precalculus. The new version of the course will involve active learning and will work to build non-cognitive skills such as growth mindset. Students in 1523 largely do not continue to complete STEM degrees, although a number of first year students at OU planning to major in science or engineering begin in MATH 1523. Our goal is to give all 1523 students a new view on how to learn mathematics and to encourage 1523 students with an interest in science to persist toward STEM degrees.
Elite Retention (ER) Squad. I'm excited to be joining this discussion group organized by the Office of the Provost for people who frequently teach large-enrollment lower division courses. We will be having some breakout sessions this year to form connections among the instructors of large introductory STEM courses.
I'm always looking for more interdisciplinary initiatives to promote STEM. Please feel free to send information and announcements to be posted here.
The Math Department will engage in a reading circle in March, 2016. We will read and discuss the book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success", by Carol Dweck. The reading circle will tentatively meet March 8, 22, 29, 2016 from 3:30-5:00 pm.
The Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA hosted a workshop on advances in STEM teaching and learning. Great to see some real advances in how we teach STEM in the first two years of college!
The Provost has initiated an advisory committee for the promotion of STEM issues. The committee is divided into subcommittees which address STEM concerns for faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, K-12 students, and the community, and STEM networking.
The Oklahoma Women in Science Conference gives girls in grades 6-12 an opportunity to do hands-on science and learn about opportunities in STEM. Check out the OU booths!
