Everything Nac

As national president of the Association of Teacher Educators, Dr. Karen Embry-Jenlink, professor of doctoral studies in educational leadership at Stephen F. Austin State University, has appointed one of the first joint commissions between ATE and NASA Education titled STEM Education in the Future.

During each ATE president’s term, he or she is tasked with leading a national initiative in education. Embry-Jenlink’s commission will explore and frame issues related to STEM education. The joint commission will launch at this year’s 98th ATE annual meeting, which will take place Feb. 16-20 in Las Vegas.

“STEM education is the future, and every educator needs to be prepared and understand how these disciplines can affect our society,” Embry-Jenlink said.

The commission’s goals align with this year’s conference theme of reimagining educator preparation in a democracy.

“We have to think of the society we have in mind for our future and create education to cultivate that society,” Embry-Jenlink said.

Through this commission, members hope to advocate for STEM education and work with legislators, professional associations, state agencies and industry to develop policy.

Scholarly topics that will be explored in this effort include ways teacher education can promote equity of STEM education for all students, methods to collaborate between colleges to advance teacher preparation, ideas for how ATE can join the national conversation to advocate for STEM education funding and more.

Dr. Leslie Huling, senior advisor of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research, is chairing the commission and is the project director in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative.

“Recognizing that the future STEM workforce is only as strong as the education pipeline, we have formed a commission of talented individuals to focus on STEM education and the future,” Huling said. “I am humbled and honored to chair this group, and I look forward to the fruits of our collaborations.”

Huling stressed the importance of the central role teacher educators play in preparing educators who produce the next generation of scientists and engineers necessary to keep the U.S. in a global leadership position.

“Commission members will identify leverage points where we can focus our energies and resources to make a positive impact on the STEM preparation and professional development of educators,” Huling said. “We want all students to develop the strong academic skills needed for success in whatever fields they choose to pursue, and we see teacher preparation and professional development as key components in bringing this vision to fruition.”

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Senior interior design students at Stephen F. Austin State University will showcase their talents during the “Essence of Design” exhibit on display from Feb. 17 through April 5 on the second floor of the Steen Library on the university campus.

The exhibit is open to the public and will kick off with an opening reception from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 17. Randy Johnson with Johnson’s Furniture is sponsoring the reception along with Lufkin Printing sponsoring the invitations.

Each of the 10 students is allotted a 64-square-foot area to create a display that showcases his or her personality, skills and design philosophy. Each area is equipped with a TV monitor to display the student’s portfolio of work developed at SFA.

The exhibit achieves multiple objectives within the interior design curriculum, including readying student portfolios for the job-search process; encouraging student self-assessment; allowing students to experience the complete design process, including conceptualization, design development, fabrication, installation and evaluation; communicating the scope of interior design education to the public; and providing a recruitment tool for the program.

To schedule a guided tour for future Lumberjacks or high school students, contact Sally Ann Swearingen, SFA associate professor of interior design, at (936) 468-2048 or sswearingen@sfasu.edu.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens and the university’s student chapter of the National Association for Interpretation are sponsoring the Great Backyard Bird Count from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St.

This free, outdoor event will have activities designed to increase knowledge and appreciation of birds for youth and adults. A variety of family-friendly, hands-on learning activities will be set up, including using binoculars, learning bird identification skills, playing bird games and making bird-related crafts.

In addition, there will be opportunities to participate in the national Great Backyard Bird Count as participants count birds for science with assistance from the Pineywoods Audubon Society and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department non-game ornithologist Cliff Shackelford.

Shackelford will lead guided hikes along the trails of Tucker Woods at the PNPC.

“Birdwatching is fun for all ages, especially as a family activity, and our area hosts a lot of fascinating species,” Shackelford said.

Winter is the ideal time for bird watching and the PNPC is a haven for local birds. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, Bird Studies Canada and many international partners are leading the Great Backyard Bird Count, which is powered by eBird, and the count is made possible in part by founding sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

For more information, call (936) 468-1832, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.