Name, position, affiliation information

Thomas Roberts, Associate Professor

School of Inclusive Teacher Education

Bowling Green State University

 Main duties in your work

I teach undergraduate students in the Inclusive PreK-5 Education major. Most of my teaching is in mathematics content, mathematics methods, and introduction to teaching STEAM. I also serve as the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Education – Curriculum and Assessment where I support faculty and program coordinators in managing 10 undergraduate teacher education programs, collecting and reviewing data for accreditation, and increasing cooperation between programs within our school and other schools to support student success. My research focuses on exploring students’ perspectives of STEM education after participating in integrated STEM learning experiences, operationalizing integrated STEM through an equity-oriented approach, and understanding the role of integrated STEM practices in high-quality integrated STEM learning experiences.

Recent accomplishments

· Organized and moderated “Making STEM Accessible for All,” a discussion between the presidents of International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), and School Science and Mathematics Association at ITEEA’s virtual conference (November 2024)

· Keynote to Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators in Texas with Megan Burton, Cathrine Maiorca, and Adrienne Sanogo (September 2024)

· Special Recognition Award from ITEEA for leading a reimagining of ITEEA’s journals and editing the practitioner journal, Technology and Engineering Education (March 2024)

· Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) National Technology Leadership Initiative (NTLI) Fellowship with Cathrine Maiorca, Megan Burton, and Jessica Ivy (February 2024)

· Co-authored Simplifying STEM books, one elementary and one secondary, to help educators enact equitable integrated STEM education (January 2024)

Service to SSMA and other professional organizations

I served SSMA as program co-chair for the 2023 SSMA Convention. I completed a term on the Publications Committee (2021-2024) and currently serve on the Policy Committee. I serve as an associate editor for School Science and Mathematics. In these roles, I have reviewed proposals and proceedings submissions, co-coordinated the review of the convention program, and managed manuscripts for the journal.

For other organizations, I served ITEEA as president of the Elementary STEM Council, a member of the Board of Directors (2022-2024), and editor of the practitioner journal Technology and Engineering Education. I served NSTA as an inaugural member of the Best STEM Books Committee and as a member of the Outstanding Science Trade Books Committee. I also served as a co-editor for the Research Council of Mathematics Learning’s journal’s, Investigations in Mathematics Learning, special issue on teaching and learning mathematics within integrated STEM.

Vision for SSMA

SSMA has a long-standing tradition of fostering a supportive community for integrated STEM, mathematics, and science education researchers and educators. My vision for SSMA has three parts. First, we need to expand opportunities for people to join and participate in SSMA. By carefully selecting affordable convention locations and providing financial support, SSMA can remain accessible to teachers, graduate students, and underfunded faculty. Second, SSMA should collaborate with other STEM education associations to amplify influence and utilize shared resources for meaningful policy changes. Finally, prioritizing equitable STEM education and increasing teacher participation can bridge the gap between research and practice, extending SSMA’s impact on STEM education beyond an organization for disseminating research.