Focus on equity in education; chem prof wins award
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Here’s some of the latest news from Middle Tennessee State University.
Center for Fairness, Justice and Equity
The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education and the MTSU Education Trust recently joined to create the Center for Fairness, Justice and Equity. The center opened in the spring with Michelle Stevens at the helm.
The mission of the CFJE is to cultivate an inclusive and diverse College of Education by intentionally recruiting diverse faculty, teacher candidates and educational personnel from a multitude of backgrounds.
“In addition to this personal and professional fulfillment, my hope is that the foundational work that we’ve done over the past several months has and will be truly beneficial for current and future COE students, faculty and staff,” Stevens said.
A study published in 2021 in SCORE’s State of Education in Tennessee publication showed about 38% of Tennessee students are people of color but only 14% of Tennessee teachers are, SCORE reported in 2021. Data shows a stark demographic mismatch between Black male students and teachers: only 2% of teachers are Black men.
The main goal of the CFJE is to support a teacher preparation program with candidates, staff and faculty that can best serve all students.
Iriarte-Gross STEM innovator
MTSU chemistry professor and Women in STEM Center Director Judith Iriarte-Gross is the 2022 recipient of the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network Excellence in Advocacy Award.
The Tennessee STEM Excellence Awards are designed to promote effective teaching strategies by recognizing and rewarding quality STEM teachers, highlight effective advocacy partnerships at the local and state levels and share strategies for creating an innovative STEM culture within a school building, district and region.
The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network’s mission is to promote and expand the teaching and learning of STEM education in Tennessee’s K-12 public schools.
Iriarte-Gross is nationally known for her advocacy for encouraging girls and women in the sciences. She is involved in local and national programs supporting the recruitment, retention and graduation of girls and women in STEM education and careers.
Among Iriarte-Gross’ most notable accomplishments includes starting the first Expanding Your Horizons Conference in Tennessee — now called the Tennessee Girls in STEM Conference — in 1996. Through hands-on activities, this conference introduces middle and high school girls to STEM careers and mentors.
“We invite role models to show the girls that they can succeed in STEM and be an engineer, chemist or microbiologist,” said Iriarte-Gross, who has been an MTSU faculty member since 1996. “We provide opportunities for girls to explore STEM education and careers by talking with women in different STEM disciplines.”
Other honors earned by Iriarte-Gross include the MTSU Foundation Career Achievement Award, the William E. Bennett Award, an American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences, and Women of Achievement-Tennessee by the Women in Higher Education Tennessee statewide organization.
Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at de*******@dn*.com. Keep up with restaurant news by joining Good Eats in the ‘Boro (and beyond) on Facebook and follow Murfreesboro Eats on TikTok.
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