Colleges Receive Funding for Math, Science Education
Spring 2011 · Comment ·
Everything’s bigger in Texas—except the supply of math and science teachers. To help support the certification of new educators in these fields, the National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.45 million Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant to UT Arlington’s College of Education and Health Professions and the College of Science. The two colleges are working with the Arlington, Dallas, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, and Fort Worth school districts on the five-year project, which places teacher candidates in early field experiences with mentor teachers. The grant complements a previous NSF Robert Noyce Grant for $900,000. Together, the awards offer two-year, $10,000 annual scholarships to selected undergraduate students seeking teacher certification in middle school science and mathematics and in high school earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. The new grant further supports post-baccalaureate students seeking to switch careers and become secondary math or science teachers. These returning students may apply for a one-year, $10,000 scholarship. The newly certified math and physical science teachers pledge to serve at least two years in a high-need school for each year of scholarship support. Professor Ann Cavallo, associate dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, is the principal investigator on both Robert Noyce grants. She is collaborating on the new NSF grant with co-principal investigators Greg Hale, assistant dean of science; Ramon Lopez, professor of physics; Theresa Jorgensen, assistant professor of mathematics; and Laura Mydlarz, assistant professor of biology. Hale, Lopez, and mathematics Associate Professor James Epperson were co-investigators on the previous grant.
