National Science Foundation Grant Will Help Transform STEM Education

August 31, 2016

The National Science Foundation has awarded an IUSE (Improving Undergraduate STEM Education) grant of $288,990 to DePauw University for support of a project entitled, "Testing a Model for Transforming STEM General Education at Liberal Arts Schools."

The project will be directed by Jacqueline R. Roberts, professor of chemistry; Pamela M. Propsom, professor of psychology and neuroscience; and Michael E. Roberts, associate professor and chair of psychology and neuroscience.

The award, which starts September 1, 2016 and ends August 31, 2019, "will provide funding for developing new pedagogies and courses, such as the pilot 'Paradigm Shifts in Science' course, with the ultimate goal of increasing student persistence and success in the sciences at and beyond DePauw," according to Anne Harris, vice president for academic affairs.

The activities that will result with project funding are a large-scale transformation of the courses meeting DePauw's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) general education requirement. Linked to the awards are "best practices" pedagogical workshops that will engage both DePauw faculty and teams from other institutions.

Adds Carrie F. Klaus, dean of faculty and professor of modern languages (French) and 1993 graduate of DePauw, "It will benefit students across all divisions, as the ultimate goal of the project is to yield more scientifically literate and 'science friendly' graduates."

The NSF funds research and education in science and engineering, through grants, contracts and cooperative agreements. The Foundation accounts for about 20 percent of federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

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