Research initiative to improve science education in Ark.
Edward Humphrys
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: News
Researchers at the University of Arkansas have recently been awarded a five-year, $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support the "College Ready In Math and Physics Partnership", an initiative designed to improve student preparation and awareness in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The program unites UA faculty from the Fayetteville and Fort Smith branches with primary and secondary education providers in 33 school districts throughout Arkansas and Oklahoma.
UA faculty members John Stewart and Gay Stewart, from the physics department, and Bernard Madison and Shannon Dingman of mathematics are spearheading the effort to revitalize the region's STEM field education.
College Ready intends to stimulate a STEM resurgence in Arkansas and Oklahoma schools through a series of interconnected activities including vertical alignment of high school and college expectations, intensive content driven workshops, university course revisions and the opportunity to earn advanced degrees and endorsements, according to the program abstract prepared by the participating faculty.
The program comes at a time when the United States is beginning to feel the first effects of a dwindling STEM educated employee base. For some time, the nation has been slipping behind other developed countries in terms of STEM graduates, a trend that College Ready and partner programs such as PhysTEC and PMET hope to reverse.
"CEOs and other senior executives leading America's Fortune 1000 STEM companies say they, themselves, are concerned about the country's ability to attract and retain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers in order to maintain America's global leadership in innovation," Stewart said. He is serving as the principal investigator for the College Ready program.
"One way to counter this talent issue and help solve the country's STEM workforce shortage, they say, is to build a diverse STEM pipeline beginning at the earliest educational level. And while the executives believe they and other STEM companies have a responsibility to support such a diverse pipeline, they also say the current American precollege education system is failing to engage girls and minorities to pursue STEM careers," Stewart said.
The program unites UA faculty from the Fayetteville and Fort Smith branches with primary and secondary education providers in 33 school districts throughout Arkansas and Oklahoma.
UA faculty members John Stewart and Gay Stewart, from the physics department, and Bernard Madison and Shannon Dingman of mathematics are spearheading the effort to revitalize the region's STEM field education.
College Ready intends to stimulate a STEM resurgence in Arkansas and Oklahoma schools through a series of interconnected activities including vertical alignment of high school and college expectations, intensive content driven workshops, university course revisions and the opportunity to earn advanced degrees and endorsements, according to the program abstract prepared by the participating faculty.
The program comes at a time when the United States is beginning to feel the first effects of a dwindling STEM educated employee base. For some time, the nation has been slipping behind other developed countries in terms of STEM graduates, a trend that College Ready and partner programs such as PhysTEC and PMET hope to reverse.
"CEOs and other senior executives leading America's Fortune 1000 STEM companies say they, themselves, are concerned about the country's ability to attract and retain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers in order to maintain America's global leadership in innovation," Stewart said. He is serving as the principal investigator for the College Ready program.
"One way to counter this talent issue and help solve the country's STEM workforce shortage, they say, is to build a diverse STEM pipeline beginning at the earliest educational level. And while the executives believe they and other STEM companies have a responsibility to support such a diverse pipeline, they also say the current American precollege education system is failing to engage girls and minorities to pursue STEM careers," Stewart said.
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