SD EPSCoR Impacts

SD EPSCoR Impacts for the Week of February 15, 2018:

• The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) is a non-profit organization with the goal of supporting departments in their efforts to incorporate student centered learning.  Specifically, they are working to stimulate department-level implementation of the recommendations listed in the 2011 Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education Report. The Midwest and Great Plains Regional chapter of PULSE recently received funding for a NSF Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) grant with the goal of developing communities of practice across institutions in the region to promote change within life science departments. Teams from Life Science Departments are being invited to apply to attend the 2018 MWGP Regional Network Conference on August 3-5, 2018. Travel, lodging, and meals for three team members from each institution will be provided through the NSF RCN-UBE grant. The conference will include workshops and speaker sessions on topics such as active learning, inclusivity, faculty mentoring, and assessment, etc. Conference outcomes will include conveying strategies for departmental discussions on change, resources within PULSE to support departmental change, and teams developing departmental action plans to enhance programs within their department with respect to Vision and Change. If interested, please contact Steven Matzner, steven.matzner@augie.edu.
• The South Dakota Science Teachers’ Association (SDSTA) has named SD EPSCoR a recipient of its Friend of Science Award. The award is given annually to organizations that help facilitate the implementation of science in all grades, provide staff development for science educators and enhance cooperative relationships and partnerships between science education and industry. SD EPSCoR was presented the award at the 2018 South Dakota Math and Science Conference in Huron. More