Center for STEM Learning

WHAT WE DO

The Center for STEM Learning at the University of Mississippi strengthens STEM education through innovative teaching, student support programs and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Email:
jfdwyer@olemiss.edu
Office Location:
4th Floor Duff-Center
Phone:
662-915-4025
Office Hours
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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Center for STEM Learning

Advancing STEM Teaching and Learning

The Center for STEM Learning works with faculty and departments across the University of Mississippi to enhance how science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses are taught and experienced.

Instructor assists two students with coursework during a STEM class activity.

Professor teaches a STEM class while students work at tables in a modern classroom.

Innovative Teaching

The center works with instructors to develop teaching approaches that encourage students to participate actively in the learning process through discussion, collaboration and hands-on problem solving.

Pedagogical Innovation in STEM

Student studies and adjusts a human skeleton model during an anatomy lab.

Students examine plant samples using a microscope during a biology lab activity.

Connecting Lecture and Laboratory Learning

Many STEM courses combine lecture and laboratory experiences into a single learning environment. This approach allows students to immediately apply new concepts through experimentation and data analysis.

Faculty member speaks with another faculty/staff member across a table

Faculty and staff talk and laugh together during a campus STEM event.

Faculty Collaboration Across Disciplines

The center helps connect faculty from different STEM fields to share ideas, develop new teaching strategies and strengthen curriculum design.

About the Center

Learn more about the Center for STEM Learning, including who we serve and how our work supports STEM education at the University of Mississippi.

Vision

The Center for STEM Learning works to create a campus environment that promotes and enhances teaching and learning in the STEM disciplines and supports all initiatives that facilitate that vision, with an emphasis on activities that support all learners in the STEM disciplines.

Mission

The Center for STEM Learning strives to promote and enhance teaching and learning in the STEM disciplines and increase recruitment and retention of students from underserved populations in the STEM disciplines. That mission is achieved through initiatives such as pedagogical and curricular enhancement, optimal use of the Duff Center facilities, educational research, faculty development and reward structures, community outreach, K-12 teacher education, and fundraising.

Students

The center helps create engaging learning environments that support student success in STEM courses and encourage exploration of scientific ideas.

Faculty

Faculty partners work with the center to explore innovative teaching strategies and strengthen STEM curriculum design.

Academic Departments

Departments collaborate with the center to improve course structures, enhance learning outcomes and support interdisciplinary teaching.

Community and K–12 Partners

Through outreach and partnerships, the center helps promote STEM learning opportunities for schools and communities across Mississippi.

STEM Experts (Pre-K-12) is a unique opportunity in which the CMSE helps bring STEM Faculty and/or Ambassadors to a classroom for engaging lessons, dynamic demonstrations, and/or intriguing lectures.

Goal 1: Enhance teaching and learning in the STEM disciplines.

Objectives

Collaborate with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning to facilitate workshops for faculty and students on pedagogy, assessment, and active learning.
Increase faculty familiarity with evidence-based STEM teaching strategies.
Facilitate dialogue on required courses and degree pathways.
Optimize use of the Duff Center facilities, liaising with the building manager and STEM laboratory group.
Conduct research on teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes.
Increase passing rates in STEM gateway courses.
Increase the number of students majoring in STEM fields and completing STEM degrees.
Develop interdisciplinary courses.
Increase opportunities for undergraduate research in the STEM disciplines.
Collaborate on pedagogical training of graduate teaching assistants.
Create an internal pedagogy advisory group to include faculty and students.

Goal 2: Increase recruitment and retention of students from underserved populations in the STEM disciplines.

Objectives

Target K-12 outreach to schools serving underserved populations.
Collaborate with other campus units to provide pre-college bridge programs in critical STEM subjects.
Collaborate with community colleges and UM STEM departments on transfer pathways.
Facilitate mentor training and mentoring programs for STEM majors.
Collaborate with other campus units on services for first-generation and financially needy students.
Collaborate with the School of Education on the recruitment and training of K-12 STEM teachers.

Goal 3: Develop programs and collaborate on community engagement.

Objectives

Collaborate with other campus units to assist with after-school and summer programs for K-12 students.
Collaborate with community colleges on STEM student recruitment.
Facilitate tours of the Duff Center.
Create and maintain visual and interactive artifacts throughout the Duff Center.
Host seminars and facilitate dialogue on faculty reward systems for Engaged Scholarship.
Seek donors to support community engagement.
Develop and maintain an informative and engaging website and social media presence.
Supplement website with interactive online STEM learning and publicity modules.
Create an external advisory board to include business and K-12 interests.
Hire an associate director/coordinator with expertise in community engagement.

Goal 4: Support faculty involvement in educational, teaching, and community-engaged scholarship.

Objectives

Collaborate with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning to facilitate workshops for faculty and students on pedagogy, assessment, and active learning.
Host weekly seminars on STEM learning topics.
Create STEM Learning Network.
Create STEM Learning Fellows program.
Facilitate dialogue on faculty reward systems.
Create an internal faculty advisory board.

Goal 5: Lead and support fundraising for STEM learning initiatives.

Objectives

Collaborate with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to facilitate workshops on grant writing.
Provide mentorship on grant writing.
Collaborate with grant writers on developing broader impacts for proposals.
Collaborate with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs on deadlines, budgets, and faculty assistance.
Develop relationships with external donors.
Hire program coordinator/grant writer.

The center operates within the Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation on the Oxford campus.

Our Impact

2,000+ students learning and collaborating daily
Interdisciplinary approaches to STEM education
Faculty collaboration across campus
Active learning environments for students

A Message from the Director

At the Center for STEM Learning, we are dedicated to advancing innovative, and evidence-based STEM education at the University of Mississippi. Our work supports students and faculty by strengthening teaching practices, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting student success across STEM disciplines.