The CUNY STEM Pedagogy Institute– Call for Fellowship Applications

The Teaching and Learning Center at the CUNY Graduate Center is pleased to invite applications from CUNY faculty for the inaugural STEM Pedagogy Fellowship (SPF). This fellowship will bring together 30 faculty and graduate student instructors from a variety of disciplines at the 2022 STEM Pedagogy Institute (SPI) where they will explore, implement, and share inclusive and employment-focused STEM-related strategies. Supported with funding from the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline, this project will amplify strategies and practices that draw in and prepare CUNY undergraduates from communities who have been historically marginalized from a range of STEM-related disciplines and careers.

Faculty will be invited to apply in one of three areas of focus: Community Science, Computational Methods in the Sciences, and Early Research Immersion (more on these themes below).

About the STEM Pedagogy Institute

Selected SPFs will assemble at the CUNY Graduate Center for a three-day Institute from June 27-29th that will ground attendees in the latest scholarship on inclusive and employment-focused strategies in the classroom. They will work with colleagues from across the CUNY system and develop assignments and strategies that will be implemented in their Fall 2022 courses. SPFs will then meet in bi-weekly (hybrid) seminars during the fall semester where they will collectively reflect upon their teaching experiences. SPFs will also attend a public speakers series featuring talks relevant to the Institute themes.

About the STEM Pedagogy Fellowship

In 2022 30 SPFs will be selected (20 full-time faculty, and 10 graduate student instructors) to participate in the SPI. Each fellow will receive $5000 to attend the SPI June 27-29 and regular seminar meetings (time/date tbd) in Fall 2022. SPFs will also be expected to be active participants on a digital platform connecting the work of the SPI, to respond to surveys designed to evaluate the institute, and to write brief reflections about the course or project they developed or refined during the Institute.

About the Areas of Focus

According to a 2021 National Science Board report on the STEM labor force, ethnic, racial, and gender minorities remain underrepresented across STEM occupations. Specific pedagogical approaches can help students from underrepresented groups develop deeper connections to STEM inquiry and more clearly imagine the various futures made possible by that learning. The UNESCO report (2017) on girls’ and women’s education in STEM highlights the importance of contextual, inquiry-based, collaborative, and inclusive learning environments and socialization processes in women’s engagement in STEM careers. Various reports about STEM curricular reform call for authentic and inclusive learning experiences (National Science & Technology Council, 2021; Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2009; Rodrigez et al., 2005), work-based experiential learning activities that promote computational approaches (NASEM, 2016) and student research experiences (PCAST, 2012). 

In its inaugural year, the SPI has selected three core areas of focus: Community Science, Computational Methods, and Early Research Immersion. Building interdisciplinary cohorts around these foci will allow SPFs to explore, develop, refine, implement, and share evidence-based instructional practices that have particular utility at CUNY for helping undergraduates establish foundations in STEM, and to persist in their engagement.

Community Science
Community science is defined as community-engaged scientific inquiry to address community-driven questions. Its participatory approach is characterized by contextual knowledge responsive to local concerns, collaborative learning, civic engagement, and democratization of scientific knowledge through increasing access. It helps facilitate equitable communities for everyone and can motivate underserved learners to participate in science. Integration of community science into teaching helps learners make local connections, develop professional identity, and practice science communication skills.

Computational Methods in the Sciences
Computational methods utilize problem-solving, critical thinking, and mathematical models to better understand complex patterns of behaviors. Incorporating computational methods such as data mining, performance modeling, and data visualization into classrooms across the curriculum improves conceptual understandings of disciplinary ideas and core practices. Recent federal reports call for a workforce with an understanding of basic computational methods, and engaging students from disciplines beyond computer science and mathematics in computational learning can help them learn how to curate, manage, and model large datasets and communicate their work effectively.

Early-Immersion Research
Undergraduate course-based research experiences increase student interest and retention in STEM through immersion in authentic scientific research and careful mentorship. This method can improve critical thinking, sense of belonging, recognition in the community, and technical skills that have implications beyond the classroom. In addition, responsive research training environments promote career readiness, project management and leadership skills, peer collaboration, and increased pursuit of STEM-related careers.

Eligibility

• Faculty from all disciplines are eligible to apply for the SPF
• Adjunct faculty with multi-year contracts are also eligible to apply for the SPF
• Graduate student instructors with at least 3 2 years of teaching experience who will be listed as instructors of record in a Fall 2022 course are eligible to apply for the SPF
• All faculty must be scheduled to teach in Fall 2022

To Apply

By March 7, please complete the linked application form AND email a single PDF named “SPF-lastname.pdf” to tlc@gc.cuny.edu with the following: 

• A brief CV of no more than 2 pages; 
• A statement of no more than 300-500 words describing how participating in the STEM Pedagogy Institute will help make the applicant’s teaching more inclusive and better able to prepare students for a variety of opportunities in STEM-related fields.

Application Form: https://forms.gle/i3XqZYMHfPvv3KHK8