Helping new scientists bloom
A WVU biologist is working to cultivate a bumper crop of young scientists through the study of wild orchids—and the fungi they eat.
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stem
NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES RECEIVES STEVENS INITIATIVE FUNDING FOR PROGRAM TO VIRTUALLY CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
Grantees will bring together thousands of young people from the United States and the Middle East and North Africa for an exciting opportunity to engage with global peers through virtual exchange.
Read moreFirst Virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research Features COVID-19 Presentations
On April 12–14, 2021, students from institutions around the world will participate in the Nat Conference on Undergraduate Research, sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research. Faculty mentors and more than 3400 undergraduate researchers will come together online to share their research.
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Pandemic is pushing women in STEM ‘past the point of no return’
During a virtual briefing held by the Women in STEM Caucus and The Science Coalition, Notre Dame’s Patricia Clark said that women in science are being pushed past the point of no return due to the pandemic and longstanding structural barriers — threatening permanent damage to their careers.
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Students Discover the World Through a Smartphone Microscope
Science kits containing PNNL’s smartphone microscope provide immersive STEM activities for historically underserved and rural students
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Dominick J. Casadonte Jr. Selected as 2021 CUR-Goldwater Scholars Faculty Mentor Awardee
Dominick J. Casadonte Jr., Minnie Stevens Piper Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University, is the 2021 CUR-Goldwater Scholars Faculty Mentor Awardee.
Read moreBinghamton University faculty awarded $1.5 million grant to fund youth makerspace research
A new $1.5 million grant awarded to faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York could help improve makerspace learning for youths and help them find support during moments of failure.
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Princeton Charter Middle School and West Windsor-Plainsboro North High School advance to National Science Bowl® competition
Two local teams will go to the National Science Bowl after PPPL hosted a virtual version of the New Jersey Regional Science Bowl for high school and middle school students.
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Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research Issue Features Nontraditional Approaches to Research
The winter 2020 issue of Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research (SPUR), the academic journal of the Council on Undergraduate Research, focuses on unusual approaches to undergraduate research such as research for chefs and a video game for biology majors.
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SLU Receives $500,000 Grant to Create a Faculty Position in Robotics and Autonomous Systems for a New, Early-Career, Female Professor
Saint Louis University was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Clare Boothe Luce program of the Henry Luce Foundation to create a tenure-track assistant professor position in Robotics and Autonomous Systems for a new, early-career, female faculty member within Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.
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UA Little Rock receives $1 million planned gift from Damerows to support science scholarships
Jerry and Sherri Damerow, longtime supporters of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Arkansas, have made a planned gift of $1 million to support scholarships for science majors at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The gift will benefit the Jerry and Sherri Damerow Endowed Science Scholarship, which provides scholarships for students majoring in astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and Earth Science.
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FAU Earns National Recognition for Diversity in Engineering
The American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) has recognized FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science as a national leader in diversity in engineering. The ASEE recognized the college with its highest award – bronze level – for its commitment to inclusive excellence.
Read moreDerek Haseltine Named Director of the Hertz Fellowship Program
After a national search, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation has named Derek Haseltine the new director of the Hertz Fellowship Program.
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Sport may fast-track numeracy skills for Indigenous children
Greater sports participation among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is linked with better academic performance, according to new research from the University of South Australia.
Read moreRethink immigration policy for STEM doctorates
A streamlined process for awarding green cards to international STEM doctoral students graduating from U.S. universities could benefit American innovation and competitiveness, including leveling the field for startups eager to attract such highly skilled workers, according to a new study by researchers from Cornell University and the University of California, San Diego.
Read moreSocial exclusion, career limitations hinder LGBTQ STEM professionals
LGBTQ professionals’ pride in their science, technology, engineering, and math work is not reciprocated, say researchers.
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Shirley McBay: The advocate
This story is part of a series, called Georgia Groundbreakers that celebrates innovative and visionary faculty, students, alumni and leaders throughout the history of the University of Georgia – and their profound, enduring impact on our state, our nation and the world.
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Armstrong explores coastal ecosystems during Cornell Fellowship
Armstrong studied the microscopic communities living within the water samples to understand more about water quality and primary production.
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SLU Engineer Tackles the Digital Graphics Accessibility Gap in STEM
Abstract STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) concepts are often conveyed visually. Intricate graphics of mathematical data trends and interactive simulations of molecules and electricity help students visualize and understand these concepts in a more concrete way.
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CUR’s First Virtual UR Exchange Features Undergraduate Work across Borders amid COVID-19
The first virtual UR Exchange of the Council on Undergraduate Research featured many inspirational stories of faculty-student research conducted during the challenges of the COVID-19 environment.
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A Stronger STEM: UNLV Researchers Team Up to Improve Retention, Graduation Rates in Civil Engineering
UNLV researchers are teaming up to help civil engineering students stay in school and graduate. The project, supported by a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant, will strengthen curriculum, build community among students, and help faculty implement culturally responsive teaching practices.
Read moreDivide and conquer: a new formula to minimise ‘mathemaphobia’
Maths – it’s the subject some kids love to hate, yet despite its lack of popularity, mathematics is critical for a STEM-capable workforce and vital for Australia’s current and future productivity. Now, new research shows that boosting student confidence is pivotal to greater engagement with the subject.
Wichita State doubles output of engineering grads ahead of schedule
In 2011, Wichita State University vowed to double the number of engineering grants as part of the state’s University Engineering Initiative Act.
One year ahead of schedule, the College of Engineering has surpassed its goal.
Hispanic organization honors nuclear waste management leader, cyber assurance architect
Two experts at Sandia National Laboratories have been honored for their achievements and leadership as top engineers and scientists from the Hispanic community.
Evaristo “Tito” Bonano, nuclear energy fuel cycle senior manager, and cyber assurance architect Angela “Ang” Rivas were recognized at the 32nd annual Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference by Great Minds in STEM.
UTEP to Receive $1.35M NIH Grant to Aid Latinx Students to Build Paths to Science Careers
The five-year NIH Science Education Partnership Award program will attempt to attract the attention of high school students in economically disadvantaged communities to be prepared and motivated to pursue undergraduate degrees in engineering as well as biomedical and behavioral sciences.
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What’s Nanotechnology? Kristin Persson Explains at 4 Different Levels
In celebration of National Nanotechnology Day, Molecular Foundry Director Kristin Persson explains atomic-scale engineering at four different levels – for a kindergartner, a middle schooler, a high school senior, and a graduate student
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$3M Department of Defense award to support UIC STEM research program
A multidisciplinary research team from the University of Illinois Chicago has been awarded a $3 million, three-year U.S. Department of Defense award to establish an undergraduate research mentoring program in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, areas with a focus on engaging undergraduate student veterans and minority students.
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Top students tapped for Los Alamos science experience
As part of a U.S. Department of Energy graduate-student program, 52 students from 43 different universities will be sponsored to conduct research at 12 national laboratories. Seven of them will come to Los Alamos National Laboratory for their research experience for between three and 12 months.
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CUR’s First Virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research Will Highlight Student Projects from across the Globe
On April 12-14, 2021, students from colleges and universities from around the world will participate in the 2021 virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), coming together online to share their research in all academic disciplines.
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AIP Selects Taharee Jackson as First Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Officer
The American Institute of Physics welcomes Taharee Jackson as its first AIP Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Officer. Jackson is expected to begin her new role on Oct. 5. Jackson’s appointment is a direct result of AIP’s commitment to emphasizing diversity and inclusion in the federation and throughout the physics and physical sciences community. She was selected from an initial pool of more than 60 candidates and is looking forward to leading AIP’s diversity efforts.
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A social-belonging intervention improves STEM outcomes for ESL students
A study conducted at 19 universities by IU researchers and their colleagues in the U.S. and Canada, found that a brief social belonging exercise, administered online before students arrive on campus, boosts the performance and persistence of students in STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and math – who speak English as a second language.
Read more2020 Bayer Diversity Fund provides professional opportunities to underrepresented groups
The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America announce a new collaboration with Bayer and MANRRS.
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Building an antiracist lab: Scientists offer steps to take action now
“Ten simple rules for building an antiracist lab,” is the subject of a paper by scientists at DePaul University in Chicago and the University of California in Merced. The paper is published Oct. 1 in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
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Personal interactions are important drivers of STEM identity in girls
Researchers from the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Florida State University found that nuanced interactions between teachers and campers at a coding camp for middle school girls as well as among the girls themselves impacted how girls viewed themselves as coders.
Read moreHarrisburg University Esports Team gets the Hollywood treatment
A documentary airing on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google Play focuses on Harrisburg University championships in esports.
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Virtual internships for physics students present challenges, build community
Summer is usually the time when student interns flock to PPPL to learn about fusion and plasma physics at a national laboratory. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s students participated virtually from their homes around the country.
Read moreExperience, guidance and community
Thirteen first-year college students connected with campus in July for a virtual summer camp to get a head start on their college experiences.
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UIC’s [email protected] GANAS earns national acclaim for diversity in STEM
The publication recognizes U.S. colleges and universities for commitment to diversity and inclusion.
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Workshop aimed at encouraging women and minority students to consider careers in plasma physics goes online
A dozen undergraduate students spent the afternoon doing experiments aimed at teaching them some fundamentals about electromagnets through PPPL’s Undergraduate Workshop in Plasma Physics.
Read moreTeen Museum Educators Increase Engagement, Learning, in Tween Visitors
A new study finds teen docents at museums have an overall positive effect on visitor experiences, learning and information retention. The positive effects accrued across age groups regardless of museum type, but were most apparent in children ages 9 to 11.
Read moreWhich is more creative, the arts or the sciences?
International expert in creativity and innovation, UniSA’s Professor David Cropley, is calling for Australian schools and universities to increase their emphasis on teaching creativity, as new research shows it is a core competency across all disciplines and critical for ensuring future job success.
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From Nashville to New Hampshire, PPPL’s student interns do research, attend classes and socialize from their home computers From Nashville to New Hampshire, PPPL’s student interns do research, attend classes and socialize from their home computer
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s internship program this summer has gone virtual with 47 interns working on research projects from home.
Read moreAIP to Fund Programs Combating Racial Injustice, Inequities in Physics, Physical Sciences
The American Institute of Physics has established a $200,000 fund to support efforts by its 10 member societies and an AIP affiliated society, the National Society of Black Physicists, for actions that are a direct response to racial injustice. The AIP 2020-2021 Diversity Action Fund will have a special focus on society actions for Black students in the physical sciences, as well as programs focused on minority communities.
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland State University Receive $1.2 Million NIH Award to Recruit Underrepresented Minority Ph.D. Students
At a time when the national conversation is focused on narrowing the gap of racial equity, two of Cleveland’s anchor institutions have been awarded grant funding that will help them turn words into action.
Cleveland State University and Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute received a five-year, $1.2 million T32 training award from the National Institutes of Health to recruit underrepresented minority Ph.D. students and students underrepresented in the science and technology workforce.
Gender gaps in STEM college majors emerge in high school
Although studies have shown that women are more likely than men to enter and complete college in U.S. higher education, women are less likely to earn degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
In new research, Kim Weeden, the Jan Rock Zubrow ’77 Professor of the Social Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, traces the discrepancy in college majors back to gender differences that emerge early in high school.
Read moreAcademic Achievement isn’t the Reason There are More Men than Women Majoring in Physics, Engineering and Computer Science
While some STEM majors have a one-to-one male-to-female ratio, physics, engineering and computer science (PECS) majors consistently have some of the largest gender imbalances among U.S. college majors – with about four men to every woman in the major. In a new study published today in the peer-reviewed research journal, Science, NYU researchers find that this disparity is not caused by higher math or science achievement among men. On the contrary, the scholars found that men with very low high-school GPAs in math and science and very low SAT math scores were choosing these math-intensive majors just as often as women with much higher math and science achievement.
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Using LEGO to test children’s ability to visualize and rotate 3D shapes in space
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a test that uses children’s ability to assemble LEGO pieces to assess their spatial visualization ability. Spatial visualization is the ability to visualize 3D shapes in one’s mind, which is tied to increased GPAs and graduation rates in STEM college students.
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UA Little Rock to offer new bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is introducing a new four-year degree program in cybersecurity in the fall 2021 semester to help meet the rising demand for cybersecurity professionals. The Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity will prepare students for challenging and rewarding careers dedicated to protecting the privacy of individuals, the security of society’s infrastructure, and national security.
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UIC joins network dedicated to preparing future STEM faculty
The University of Illinois at Chicago has been named one of six new members of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, or CIRTL, an academic network of top research universities devoted to developing and expanding proven STEM teaching practices to educate diverse populations of students.
Read morePassing crucial, challenging introductory chemistry course gives biggest boost to underrepresented students
Underrepresented students in STEM received lower grades in a general chemistry series compared to their peers and were less likely to continue. But if underrepresented students completed the first course with at least the minimum grade needed to continue, they were more likely than their peers to do so.
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