Main duties
I currently teach courses as part of our K-6 and early childhood undergraduate programs, along with graduate programs that lead to traditional and alternative certification in elementary education. These courses include science methods, curriculum and instruction, and curriculum research. My research focuses on student beliefs in STEM as they relate to future and career decisions as well as STEM teacher preparation. I am currently working to evaluate and develop effective professional development for STEM teachers to advance their subject matter knowledge along with pedagogical content knowledge.
Recent accomplishments
- Awarded University of South Alabama’s Mortarboard chapter “Top Prof”
- Elected member of College of Education and Professional Studies Faculty Council
- Invited talks, Two presentations at the Southeastern Regional Robert Noyce Conference
- Received grant funding as Co-PI for the NSF S-STEM program
- Journal publications accepted in International Journal of Education in Science, Mathematics, and Technology and Journal for STEM Education Research
Service to SSMA and other professional organizations
I began coming to SSMA conventions in 2018 as a graduate student at Oklahoma State University. My advisor was Dr. Toni Ivey, and she (along with fellow faculty members Dr. Stephanie Hathcock and Dr. Juliana Utley) encouraged me to share my work with the SSMA community. Since then, I have attended and presented at the SSMA convention every year. In 2021, I was awarded the SSMA Dissertation Award. I have reviewed multiple articles for the SSM Journal as well as conference proposals for the SSMA convention, and I currently serve on the SSMA Publications Committee.
In addition to SSMA, I have served several roles for other professional organizations. I served two years on the conference planning committee for the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), and currently am serving a three-year term on the ASTE Equity Committee. I have also reviewed manuscripts for several science education journals and conference proposals.
Your vision for SSMA
Since the first time I attended an SSMA Convention, I have felt like the organization offers a professional community that supports and challenges its members. Each year I have attended, everyone from senior faculty to graduate students share ideas and offer guidance to one another in a supportive but rigorous environment. As an organization with such a long history supporting science and mathematics education, I’d love to see SSMA continue to advance among both new and existing members. I hope to encourage current membership to serve the organization and take advantage of the opportunities for connection, networking, and outreach offered at the convention and beyond. I’d also like to see our membership expand in its diversity and become prevalent in more geographic regions. This would add to the experience that SSMA currently provides while giving more people the opportunity to be a part of this community.
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