All Presentations are Free & Open to the Public.

Fall 2023 Seminars

Dr. Grant Gardner, Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University,The Professional Learning of STEM Graduate Students

Dr. Regis Komperda, Department of Chemistry, San Diego State University, Measurement in Chemistry Education: Examining the Past and Supporting the Future

Dr. Anita Schuchardt, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Gaining insights into Science and Mathematics Sensemaking Through Examination of Teacher and Student Discourse

Dr. Holly Anthony, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Tennessee Tech University, Surveying the Landscape of STEM Education Research

Dr. Rachel Henderson, Department of Physics, Michigan State University, Building Tools to Assess Changes in Physics Education: Inclusively Supporting Student Learning and Retention

Spring 2023 Seminars (Highlighting the Work of the MTSU-MSE Faculty)

Dr. Katie Hosbein, Department of Chemistry, MTSU, Explorations into science & discipline-specific identity development within undergraduate and graduate students

Dr. Gregory Rushton, Tennessee STEM Education Center, Department of Chemistry, MTSU, From Teacher to Leader: Journeys in Identity and Empowerment for Improving STEM Education

Dr. M. Elizabeth Barns, Department of Biology, MTSU, Cultural Competence in Biology Education about Culturally Controversial Science Topics

Dr. Ryan “Seth” Jones, Womack Department of Educational Leadership, MTSU, The Interdisciplinary Practice of Explaining Variation in Data Science Education

Dr. Alyson Lischka, Department of Mathematical Sciences, MTSU, Engaging in Self-Study of Teacher Educator Practices to Build Understanding of Mathematics Methods Instruction

Dr. Rongjin Huang, Department of Mathematical Sciences, MTSU, Deepening understanding of an educational phenomena through networking theories: A case in the context of lesson study

Fall 2022 Seminars

Dr. Cynthia Brame, Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Teaching,“It made me feel like a bigger part of the STEM community”: Incorporation of Learning Assistants enhances students’ sense of belonging in introductory science courses

Dr. Chaney Mosley, Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Agriculture, Mental Health, Suicide, and Rural America – Considerations for Education

Dr. Milos Savic, The University of Oklahoma, Mathematics Department,Teaching Actions that Focus on Math Creativity and Their Affective Outcomes

Dr. Logan Gin. Brown University, The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Challenges and opportunities for students with disabilities in evolving STEM learning environments: active learning, online instruction, and undergraduate research

Dr. Angela Hooser, Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Elementary and Special Education, Learning from the work of Scholar Practitioners: Using Academic Knowledge to Inform Practice in K-12 Schools

Spring 2022 Seminars

Dr. Mariel Pfeifer, University of Georgia, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Speaking up in STEM: Investigating the self-advocacy and classroom experiences of undergraduates with ADHD and specific learning disorders

Dr. Pip Arnold, Karekare Education, New Zealand, Why are Questions Important in Statistical Problem Solving?

Dr. Sandra Lampley, University of Alabama Huntsville, College of Education, Continuing the research journey: Navigating the transformation from MSE
graduate student to associate professor

Dr. Kim Evert, Middle Tennessee State University, Womack Educational Leadership Department, The Willow and the Oak: Leadership Approaches to Influencing Classroom Instruction

Fall 2021 Seminars

Dr. Luis Leyva, Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, Department of Teaching and Learning, A Counter-storytelling of Navigating and Resisting White Cisheteropatriarchy in Undergraduate STEM Education among Women of Color

Dr. Nicole Lazar, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Statistics, Much Ado About p-values

Dr. Joshua Reid, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee STEM Education Center, TBD

Dr. Ellen Yezierski, Miami University (Ohio), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Facilitating Curricular and Instructional Improvement Through Chemistry Teacher Professional Development: Implications for Higher Education

Dr. Ashley Helm, Cornell University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Understanding How Biology Undergraduates Learn at Zoos

Dr. Fatma Kaya, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee STEM Education Center, TBD

Spring 2021 Seminars

Dr. Daniel Southam, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, Evidence-based implementation of novel active learning pedagogy across the STEM curriculum: from middle school science to upper division chemistry classes

Dr. Chris Rasmussen, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, Research on Learning and Teaching University Mathematics: Where we are and where we might go next

Dr. Erika Parr, Tennessee STEM Education Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Teaching and Learning the Representations of Concepts in Undergraduate Mathematics: Investigating Students’ Interpretations & Designing Instructional Interventions

Dr. Sandra Crespo, Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University, Embracing Contraries—A Methodological Approach to Studying Mathematics Teaching

Dr. M. Elizabeth Barnes, Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Using Cultural Competence in Undergraduate Biology Education

Dr. Angela Calabrese Barton, Educational Studies Department, University of Michigan, Moving beyond Equity as Inclusion: Working towards Rightful Presence in Science Teaching & Learning

Fall 2020 Seminars

Dr. Ebony McGee, Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, Department of Teaching and Learning BLACK, BROWN, BRUISED: How Racialized STEM Education Stifles Innovation

Ms. Angela Google, Middle Tennessee State University, Ph.D. Program in Mathematics and Science Education Approaches to Learning Biology of Women of Color: The Intersectionality of Race, Gender, and Science Identity

Dr. Mary Atwater, University of Georgia, Mary Frances Early College of Education, Department of Mathematics and Science Education Your Journey in Multicultural Education:  When Did You Start It?

Dr. Gregory Larnell, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction What is Equity for Mathematics Education?

Dr. Heidi Carlone, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, College of Education, Teacher and Higher Education Department Studying and designing for diverse youths’ STEM-linked identity work

Spring 2020 Seminars

Dr. Elizabeth B. Dyer, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee STEM Education Center, Inside the Black Box of Teacher Change: Developing Theory for Improvement in Teaching

Ms. Kristen E. Roland, University of Georgia, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, What Does Confident Mean?!?: A Discussion of the Concepts and Connections Students have about Interpretations of Confidence Intervals

Dr. Demet Kirbulut, Harran University, Faculty of Education, Turkey, Investigation of Science Teachers’ Emotions during their Classroom Practices

Dr. Michael D. Steele, National Science Foundation and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, The Intractable Challenge of High School Mathematics: Using Research and Practice to Instigate Radical Change

Dr. Renee Cole, University of Iowa, Department of Chemistry, Enhancing Learning by Developing and Assessing more than Content Knowledge

Dr. Eve Manz, Boston University, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Rethinking the Elementary School Science Investigation: Design Research at the Intersection of Science, Children, and Elementary Teaching Systems

Past Presentations

Dr. Rebecca Seipelt, MTSU, Department of Biology
Using Students’ (Mis)understandings  to Guide Instruction

Dr. Denise Spangler, University of Georgia, Department of Mathematics and Science Education
What is a Theoretical Framework and What Do I Do With One?

Dr. Ilana Horn, Vanderbilt University, Department of Teaching and Learning*
If We Know So Much About Good Math and ScienceTeaching, Why is it So Hard to Do?
*Keynote address at the Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference 

Dr. Todd Hutner, University of Alabama, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Applying a Goal-Driven Model of Cognition to Research on Science Teachers

Dr. Brett Criswell, University of Kentucky, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education
Seeing the Story in Our Research Data

Dr. Sam Otten, University of Missouri, Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum
Reasoning-and-Providing Opportunities in Geometry Textbooks and Geometry Classes

Dr. Patrick Enderle, Georgia State University, Department of Middle and Secondary Education
Teacher Learning around the Science and Engineering Practices

 Dr. Gregory Rushton, MTSU, Director of Tennessee Stem Education Center
Professionalizing STEM Teaching in Secondary and Tertiary Settings: Studies to Influence Policy and Practice

Dr. LouAnn Lovin, James Madison University, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Investigating and Advancing Prospective Pre-K–8 Teachers’ Fraction Understanding

Dr. Joi Walker, East Carolina University, Department of Chemistry
Cross-Disciplinary Practice Focused Undergraduate Laboratory Transformation

Dr. Dov Zazkis, Arizona State University, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Using Lesson Plays to Document Changes in Preservice Teachers' Conceptions of Teaching

Dr. Corey Brady, Vanderbilt University, Department of Teaching and Learning
As We May Think and Learn, Together: Supporting New Forms of Classroom Collectivity

Dr. Bridget Mulvey, Kent State University, School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies
Empowering Teachers Through Nature of Science Teaching and Learning

Dr. Mindi Summers, University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences
New Tools for Assessing Conceptual Understanding and Motivation throughout a Biology Major

Dr. Jacqueline Nikles, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Department of Chemistry
An Integrated Approach for Development of Scientific Writing Skills in Undergraduate Organic Lab

Dr. Nicole M. Joseph, Vanderbilt University, Department of Teaching and Learning  
Exploring Black Feminist Mathematics Pedagogy (BlackFMP) as an Intersectional Intervention for Liberation and Mathematics Achievement

Dr. Tessa C. Andrews, University of Georgia, Department of Genetics
Knowledge for Active-Learning Instruction in Large Undergraduate STEM Courses: What Knowledge Do Instructors Need to be Effective?

Dr. Philip Sadler, Harvard University, Director, Science Education Department*
Separating Facts from Fads: How Our Choices Impact Students’ Performance and Persistence in STEM
*Keynote address at the Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference

Ms. Candace Terry, MTSU, MSE Doctoral Candidate
Overview and Preliminary Results: Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogy through the Tool of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS)

Dr. Stanley Lo, University of California, San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences
When Active Learning Fails: How Faculty Beliefs and Intentions Inform Their Teaching and Influence Student Outcomes

Dr. Basil Naah, Wright State University, Department of Chemistry
Can Students Explain How Energy is Generated During Chemical Reactions? Evaluating Introductory General Chemistry Students' Understanding of the Energy Concept

Dr. Grant Gardner, MTSU, Department of Biology, and Jennifer Parrish, MSE Doctoral Candidate
The Promoting Active Learning Strategies (PALS) Project: The Impact of Implementing Evidence-based Active Learning in High School Biology Classrooms

Dr. Brian Lawler, Kennesaw State University, Department of Secondary and Middle Grades Education
Author/ity and the Sociopolitical Perspective on STEM Education

Dr. Tom Cheatham, MTSU, Tennessee STEM Education Center
Successful Grant Writing

Dr. Jennifer Lovett, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Massive Online Open Courses for Educators (MOOC-Eds) – Impact on Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices

Dr. Kimberly Tanner, San Francisco State University, Department of Biology
Beyond Assessing Knowledge – Card Sorting, Superheroes, and Moving Towards Measuring Biological Expertise among Undergraduates

Dr. Alyson Lischka, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Kristin Hartland, MSE Doctoral Candidate, and Matt Duncan, MSE Doctoral Student
Evolution of a Research Program: Exploring Effective Feedback in Mathematics Teacher Education

Dr. Cindi Smith-Walters, MTSU, Department of Biology, Alicja Lanfear, Department of Biology, and Velta Napoleon-Fanis, MSE Doctoral Student
Engaging and Supporting Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Students in the Acquisition of Specialized Vocabulary

Dr. Jaime Sabel, University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences
Exploring the Use of Formative Assessment, Metacognition, and Scaffolds to Support Students in Learning Biological Concepts

Dr. Sarah van Ingen, University of South Florida, Department of Teaching and Learning
The Process of Evidence-Based Practice in Teaching: An Encounter with Power or an Encounter with Puppet Strings?

Dr. Seth Jones, MTSU, Womack Educational Leadership Department
Measuring the Quality of Whole Class Discussions about Data, Statistics, and Probability

Dr. Elizabeth Schussler, University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Dr. Margaret Mohr-Schroeder, University of Kentucky, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
Synthesizing Teacher Education through a Transdisciplinary STEM Education Lens

Dr. Rongjin Huang, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Dr. Renee Cole, University of Iowa, Department of Chemistry

Dr. Renee’ Schwartz, Georgia State University, Department of Middle and Secondary Education

Dr. Grant Gardner, MTSU, Department of Biology
STEM Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development: The Current State of Research and Practice

Dr. Natasha Gerstenschlager, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Western Kentucky University
Transitioning from Graduate School to Academia: Perspectives from a Recent Doctoral Graduate Student

Dr. Louis Gross, James R. Cox and Alvin and Sally Beaman Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mathematics, Director Emeritus, National Inst. for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
University of Tennessee – Knoxville
Quantitative Education for "Fearless" Biologists: A Curriculum Perspective

Dr. James Hiebert, Robert J. Barkley Professor of Education, University of Delaware
The Bleak History of American Education Reforms: How Can We Ensure Good Ideas Reach Students?

Dr. Renée Cole, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa
Using Discipline-based Education Research to Inform Teaching Strategies and Design of Instructional Materials

Dr. Chris Stephens, MTSU Mathematical Sciences, Mr. Chris Willingham, MTSU MSE PhD Candidate, and
Mrs. Kristin Hartland, MTSU MSE PhD Student
The Role of Implicit Theory in Mathematics Teachers' Professional Development

Mr. Jeffery Bonner, Ph.D. Candidate, Mathematics and Science Education Middle Tennessee State University
Spreading the Word: A Grassroots Approach to Instructional Change in Post-secondary Biology Education

Dr. Peggy Brickman, University of Georgia, Department of Plant Biology

Mr. Wes Baxter & Ms. Angeline Gaddy, MTSU, MSE Students
Interpreting the CCSSM: A Comparative Study of Elementary & Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions

Dr. Mehmet Aydeniz, University of Tennessee, Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Eduction
Understanding the Role of Framing in Promoting Students’ Appropriation of Epistemic and Social Norms of Science. Case for Argumentation and Modeling

Dr. Stephen Bartos, MTSU, Department of Educational Leadership
Teachers Conceptions of the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry and their Classroom Practice

Dr. Wendy B. Sanchez, Kennesaw State University, Department Mathematics & Statistics
What is the Content of Methods? Scholarly Inquiry and Practice in Mathematics Methods Courses (K-12)

2014 Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference
The conference begins at 1PM on Thursday and ends at noon on Friday DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro, TN

Dr. Jennifer Yantz, CTB McGraw-Hill
Next Generation Assessments: Measuring Career & College Readiness

Dr. Christine Franklin, University of Georgia, Department of Statistics

Dr. Sheryl Sorby, Michigan Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Sharon Dotger, Syracuse University, Department of Teaching and Learning

Dr. Angela Barlow, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Views of Coaching Practice Expressed by School-based Coaches

Heather Leigh Barker & Tasha Frick, MTSU, MSE Ph.D. Students
Transforming science instruction through modeling experiences

Drs. Ginger Rowell, Lisa Green, Nancy McCormick & Jeremy Strayer, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences; Dr. Scott McDaniel, MTSU, University Studies; Brandon Hanson & Natasha Gerstenschlager, MTSU, MSE Ph.D. Students
Modules for teaching statistics with pedagogies using active learning

Dr. Michael Rutledge, MTSU, Department of Biology
A research program in biology education

Dr. Ryan C. Smith, University of Georgia, Department of Mathematics and Science Education
The relationships between students' uses of technology, the tasks on which they are working, and the mathematical arguments they create

Dr. Michaele Chappell, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences, & Dr. Kyle Butler, MTSU, Womack Family Department of Educational Leadership
Implementing a Master Teaching Fellows Project: What we have learned in four years

Dr. Terry Goodin, MTSU, Womack Family Department of Educational Leadership
Problem-based learning: Balancing doing and understanding

Dr. Linda K. Jordan, Tennessee Department of Education
Next Generation Science Standards: A Framework for K-12 Science Education

Jennifer Parrish, MTSU MSE student, Biology Education
Flipping Instruction in a Large Lecture Biology Course for Majors: A Pilot Study

Dr. Grant Gardner, MTSU, Department of Biology
Scientists as Public Communicators: An International Study of Undergraduate Student Perceptions

Mr. G. Dodd Galbreath, Lipscomb University, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Practice
"Little Europe": A Comparison of the Sustainability Practices of Vermont with Europe

Dr. George M. Bodner, Purdue University, Arthur Kelly Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry
I'm Finally Beginning to Understand Why I Didn't Understand …

Dr. Gautam Bhattacharyya, Clemson University, Department of Chemistry

Dr. Alyson Lischka, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences
The Development of a Mathematics Teacher Beliefs Instrument:  An Application of Item Response Theory

Mr. Brandon Banes, Lipscomb University, Department of Mathematics
A Study of How Pre-service Elementary Teachers Learn Mathematics through Problem-based Learning and Problem Solving

Dr. Jacqueline Nikles, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Department of Chemistry, Coordinator of Undergraduate Organic Chemistry
An Integrated Approach for Development of Scientific Writing Skills in Undergraduate Organic Lab

Dr. Shari Stockero, Michigan Technological University, Department of Mathematics and Cognitive and Learning Sciences, Director of Teacher Education
Using Student Mathematical Thinking

Dr. Gili Marbach-Ad, University of Maryland, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center, College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences
Using Empirical Data on Student Values and Experiences to Promote Professional Development in Teaching

Dr. Sarah Bleiler-Baxter, MTSU, Mathematical Sciences, and Dr. Jeff Pair, California State University Long Beach, Department of Mathematics
Let’s Get the Ball “Role”-ing: An MSE Student/Faculty Research Collaboration

Dr. Scott Lewis, University of South Florida, Department of Chemistry
The Impact of Students’ Study Habits on Academic Success in General Chemistry

Dr. Anna Grinath, MTSU, Department of Biology
Ambitious Instruction in Undergraduate Biology Laboratories

Dr. Tom Cheatham, Director, TN STEM Education Center, MTSU

Grantsmanship: Who? What? When? Why? Where? How?

Dr. Sarah Bleiler, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, MTSU
Using Situated Learning Theory to Investigate the Interdisciplinary Team-Teaching Experiences of a
Mathematician and a Mathematics Teacher Educator

Dr. Linda Gilbert, Director, Murfreesboro City Schools
Gown and Town, Research and Practice: Collaboration and Understanding make the best Partnerships

Dr. Jeremy Strayer, MTSU, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Ready, Set, StaRT: Investigating Statistical Reasoning and Thinking

Ms. Leigh Gostowski, MTSU, Program Coordinator MTeach

Dr. Michael Sanger, MTSU, Department of Chemistry

Dr. Paul Cobb, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
Towards an Empirically-Grounded Theory of Action for Improving the Quality of Mathematics Teaching at Scale

Dr. Kefyn M. Catley, Western Carolina University, Director of Science Education Program