We found 43 results that contain "social science"
Posted on: The MSU Graduate Le...
Social Science Leadership Fellows
Leadership Fellows
2016-2019: Jacob Bradburn
2019-2020: Courtney Bryant & Tatiana Bustos
2020-2021: Kionna Henderson & Jaleah Rutledge
2021-2022: Cordelia Martin-Ipke & Jessie Pink
2021-2023: Qi Huang
Jacob Bradburn (2016-2019)Jacob Bradburn constructed a thorough and thoughtful approach to building the Social Science graduate student community as the first Fellow for the college. He began by surveying the college’s landscape in order to gather information on departmental procedures, college structure, and identify possible intervention points in which to enhance the graduate student experience. He created an organizational chart mapping the graduate departments and degree programs and a supplementary Excel spreadsheet with information on each of the departments, programs, and graduate student organizations (GSOs). Jacob took his research further by analyzing the survey results from two specific departments, Psychology and Social Work, and presenting his findings to department leadership. Jacob also advocated for graduate student representation on the College of Social Science Dean’s Student Advisory Council, which consisted of only undergraduates at the time. He worked with GSOs to help register them with the university and to facilitate outreach through his organizational chart.
Jacob was a key author in the Leadership Institute’s 2019 grant proposal to the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives CIEG. He worked closely with then-Coordinators, Madeline Shallgren and Makena Neal, and former Coordinator, Megumi Moore, to outline the Institute’s vision, purpose, and leadership development curriculum. This document is an important reflection of the Institute’s ethos during a time of past leadership and helps us understand how the Institute has grown since. In short, Jacob was a key player that went outside the bounds of his Fellowship responsibilities to support the Institute’s development and lay a strong foundation for future Social Science Leadership Fellows.Courtney Bryant & Tatiana Bustos (2019-2020)Courtney Bryant and Tatiana Bustos leveraged Jacob’s leadership network to build a strong relationship with the Assistant Dean and gather connections within the College to inform their multi-tier support system for underrepresented graduate students. Their project specifically focused on diversity and inclusion within the College and utilized a needs assessment survey to help define the different tiers within the support system. Example initiatives they considered included getting a physical space in the college, creating a section on the website including diversity and inclusion resources, and implementing a program to teach multicultural mentoring to faculty. As they were faced with the time-consuming and difficult challenges brought on by graduate student life amidst the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Courtney and Tatiana were unable to see these initiatives through. However, their work brought awareness to unequal graduate student representation in the College and they built an incredible network of connections and data that will inform future graduate student diversity and inclusion initiatives.Kionna Henderson & Jaleah Rutledge (2020-2021)Kionna Henderson and Jaleah Rutledge’s project, All About Academic Entrepreneurship, consisted of a four-part series that introduced graduate students to academic entrepreneurship. With the understanding that graduate students possess a variety of skills and talents that can be applied to a wide range of fields, this series aimed to help graduate students turn these skills into for profit business opportunities. The series covered an introduction to academic entrepreneurship, marketing and building your brand, finding the right partners and financial resources, as well as a panel of academic entrepreneurs. Speakers included Dr. Jasmine Abrams, Dr. Paul Elam, and Christine Beamer. The panelists included Jen Fry, Dr. Tatiana Bustos, Dr. Sederick Rice, and Dr. Valencia Moses. Kionna and Jaleah worked closely with the Director of Graduate Student Life and Wellbeing, Dr. Megumi Moore, and Social Science Deans Mary Finn and Anna Maria Santiago. Their series was received extremely well by their audience, with many remarking that it exceeded their expectations and provided valuable and inspiring content.Cordelia Martin-Ipke (2021-2022)Cordelia began the year by looking at how to recruit more underrepresented minorities into the Geography Department. She worked to strengthen the Advancing Geography Through Diversity Program and community building among underrepresented minority groups in the geography field. She worked with her department chair as well as director, and established a network to create a recruitment pipeline from Chicago State, which does not have a Geography PhD program and is a minority serving institution. Cordelia has been exploring the sustainability of this program.Jessie Pink (2021-2022)Jesse’s project addressed environmental justice and racism. He used an interdisciplinary approach that tied environmental justice with health inequities. Jesse has been working to highlight the importance of activism and community engagement in solving environmental health issues in vulnerable communities.Qi Huang (2021-2023)Qi worked with CAL Fellow, Hima Rawal, to address international students’ use of mental health services on campus. They hope to build bridges to increase access to and decrease stigma of mental health services. They collaborated with the Office of International Students & Scholars, Counseling and Psychiatric Services, the Trauma Services Training Network, and more to learn more about how these offices support international students. They also interviewed over a dozen international students to deepen their understanding of the concerns and barriers international students have concerning mental health. Using this data and their partnerships, Qi and Hima hope to create a Wellness Ambassador program where selected international students are trained to reach out to other international students to help them learn about mental health services on campus.
2016-2019: Jacob Bradburn
2019-2020: Courtney Bryant & Tatiana Bustos
2020-2021: Kionna Henderson & Jaleah Rutledge
2021-2022: Cordelia Martin-Ipke & Jessie Pink
2021-2023: Qi Huang
Jacob Bradburn (2016-2019)Jacob Bradburn constructed a thorough and thoughtful approach to building the Social Science graduate student community as the first Fellow for the college. He began by surveying the college’s landscape in order to gather information on departmental procedures, college structure, and identify possible intervention points in which to enhance the graduate student experience. He created an organizational chart mapping the graduate departments and degree programs and a supplementary Excel spreadsheet with information on each of the departments, programs, and graduate student organizations (GSOs). Jacob took his research further by analyzing the survey results from two specific departments, Psychology and Social Work, and presenting his findings to department leadership. Jacob also advocated for graduate student representation on the College of Social Science Dean’s Student Advisory Council, which consisted of only undergraduates at the time. He worked with GSOs to help register them with the university and to facilitate outreach through his organizational chart.
Jacob was a key author in the Leadership Institute’s 2019 grant proposal to the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives CIEG. He worked closely with then-Coordinators, Madeline Shallgren and Makena Neal, and former Coordinator, Megumi Moore, to outline the Institute’s vision, purpose, and leadership development curriculum. This document is an important reflection of the Institute’s ethos during a time of past leadership and helps us understand how the Institute has grown since. In short, Jacob was a key player that went outside the bounds of his Fellowship responsibilities to support the Institute’s development and lay a strong foundation for future Social Science Leadership Fellows.Courtney Bryant & Tatiana Bustos (2019-2020)Courtney Bryant and Tatiana Bustos leveraged Jacob’s leadership network to build a strong relationship with the Assistant Dean and gather connections within the College to inform their multi-tier support system for underrepresented graduate students. Their project specifically focused on diversity and inclusion within the College and utilized a needs assessment survey to help define the different tiers within the support system. Example initiatives they considered included getting a physical space in the college, creating a section on the website including diversity and inclusion resources, and implementing a program to teach multicultural mentoring to faculty. As they were faced with the time-consuming and difficult challenges brought on by graduate student life amidst the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Courtney and Tatiana were unable to see these initiatives through. However, their work brought awareness to unequal graduate student representation in the College and they built an incredible network of connections and data that will inform future graduate student diversity and inclusion initiatives.Kionna Henderson & Jaleah Rutledge (2020-2021)Kionna Henderson and Jaleah Rutledge’s project, All About Academic Entrepreneurship, consisted of a four-part series that introduced graduate students to academic entrepreneurship. With the understanding that graduate students possess a variety of skills and talents that can be applied to a wide range of fields, this series aimed to help graduate students turn these skills into for profit business opportunities. The series covered an introduction to academic entrepreneurship, marketing and building your brand, finding the right partners and financial resources, as well as a panel of academic entrepreneurs. Speakers included Dr. Jasmine Abrams, Dr. Paul Elam, and Christine Beamer. The panelists included Jen Fry, Dr. Tatiana Bustos, Dr. Sederick Rice, and Dr. Valencia Moses. Kionna and Jaleah worked closely with the Director of Graduate Student Life and Wellbeing, Dr. Megumi Moore, and Social Science Deans Mary Finn and Anna Maria Santiago. Their series was received extremely well by their audience, with many remarking that it exceeded their expectations and provided valuable and inspiring content.Cordelia Martin-Ipke (2021-2022)Cordelia began the year by looking at how to recruit more underrepresented minorities into the Geography Department. She worked to strengthen the Advancing Geography Through Diversity Program and community building among underrepresented minority groups in the geography field. She worked with her department chair as well as director, and established a network to create a recruitment pipeline from Chicago State, which does not have a Geography PhD program and is a minority serving institution. Cordelia has been exploring the sustainability of this program.Jessie Pink (2021-2022)Jesse’s project addressed environmental justice and racism. He used an interdisciplinary approach that tied environmental justice with health inequities. Jesse has been working to highlight the importance of activism and community engagement in solving environmental health issues in vulnerable communities.Qi Huang (2021-2023)Qi worked with CAL Fellow, Hima Rawal, to address international students’ use of mental health services on campus. They hope to build bridges to increase access to and decrease stigma of mental health services. They collaborated with the Office of International Students & Scholars, Counseling and Psychiatric Services, the Trauma Services Training Network, and more to learn more about how these offices support international students. They also interviewed over a dozen international students to deepen their understanding of the concerns and barriers international students have concerning mental health. Using this data and their partnerships, Qi and Hima hope to create a Wellness Ambassador program where selected international students are trained to reach out to other international students to help them learn about mental health services on campus.
Posted by: Megumi Moore
Navigating Context
Posted on: PREP Matrix
H-Net: Humanities And Social Sciences Online
H-Net is an international interdisciplinary organization of scholars and teachers that provides academic news, book reviews, job postings, and career advice.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Research Methods in the Social Sciences And Humanities
Iowa State University's library provides a guide to conducting research in the social sciences and humanities, with resources in methods, ethics, and sampling.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu Educator...
College of Social Science 2020 #iteachmsu Educator Award Recipients
The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Social Science. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Amanda Kreuze: Amanda is appointed as the instructor of the online version of ISS310: People & the Environment for the Spring Semester 2020. As the course administrator and coordinator, I could not do my job without a highly motivated and knowledgeable person like Amanda in that role. She truly cares for her students and does her best to make sure that they are not only successful, but also that their online experience in People & the Environment is positive. The situation that students (and instructors) now find themselves in is unfathomable in many regards, but Amanda continues to do all that she can to provide a safe and positive online environment for students to learn. Thank you Amanda for all that you do for onGEO and your students!
Ida Djenontin: In addition to maintaining high performance on her own work, Ida has been a great support to both me and students in her role as TA for two of my classes this Spring! She has done a yeoman job with grading, but more importantly, has taken many other steps to get to know the undergrad students and to help with management. These have been crucial in helping us all successfully navigate the transition to 'remote' instruction. I deeply appreciate her work ethic and positive demeanor.
Rajiv Paudel: We would like to recognize Rajiv Paudel, graduate student in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, for his unwavering understanding and compassion through an unprecedented semester. Rajiv is teaching GEO325 (Geographic Information Systems) for the Department this spring and found himself responsible for transitioning 42 students through a swift transition to remote learning. Throughout this transition, Rajiv has been concerned for his students and their situations, in and out of the virtual classroom. Rajiv has been willing to work individually with students to remedy technical challenges with the fully online labs and repeatedly put his students first. The onGEO group is grateful for all that you do, Rajiv!
Aaron Luedtke: Aaron is one of those exceptional graduate students who devotes a tremendous amount of energy on being one of the best teachers in our department. Aaron received the Harry Brown Graduate Fellowship for Academic Excellence from our department in 2019 and had previously received the Fred Williams Graduate Award for teaching in 2018. This year, he was again nominated for the Somers teaching Award in IAH. Academically and intellectually, Aaron is an outstanding student with numerous fellowships and awards. He received a short-term dissertation fellowship from the D'Arcy McNickle Center at Chicago's Newberry Library and the Everett Helm Visiting Fellowship from the Lily Library at Indiana University. His article on Indigenous communities in the Great Lakes will be published in the forthcoming collection, The Northern Midwest and the US-Canada Borderlands: Essays on a Lost Region, in 2020.
Steve Anderson: Steve has been a teaching assistant for one of our department's largest courses--Introduction to Comparative Politics--for several semesters. Given the number of students and the nature of the assignments, this is not an easy job, and Steve always performs beyond expectations. He provides quick, careful, and helpful feedback to students on their work, and he is careful and reliable. Our students are lucky to have him as a teacher, and I'm lucky to have him as an assistant!
Kesicia Dickinson: Kesicia is so smart, kind, and respectful. She is inclusive and strong and serves as a mentor to our newest students of color. She is constantly empowering other students who feel out of place in the academy and creating space for them to shine. When some students -- especially her more junior peers of color – feel isolated and feel imposter syndrome, she goes out of her way to remind them that they have earned their space in the discipline and reminds them that they have so much to contribute. Our department is trying so hard to build a minority politics initiative, and without Kesicia and her persistence, encouragement, and participation, we would be a much worse group and department. She kills people with kindness, is genuine, constructive, and empowering. I am so proud to have her as a student in the discipline. I have yet to meet someone as inclusive and encouraging as Kesicia.
Natasha Fowler: I’d like to give a huge shout out to Natasha for being an amazing mentor this year! She’s been helping me with my UURAF poster, and I have learned so much from her. From the background science to the research process as a whole, Natasha has played a crucial part in my learning. The process of researching, making, and presenting this poster to the lab has been an amazing experience overall and I couldn’t have done it without Natasha. Thank you so much for your help, patience, and enthusiasm Natasha!
Megan Mikhail: Megan, I'm so happy you are in our lab! I so enjoy when you present and teach in our lab meetings, you make the science so easy to understand and also so engaging. You are clearly passionate about your work and it is so awesome to see. I always appreciate your insights as well, you offer such constructive and thoughtful input into research discussions. You're a joy to work with!
Nafiseh Haghtalab: Nafiseh is appointed as the instructor of the online version of GEO204: World Regional Geography for Spring Semester 2020. These are unparalleled times for our world, students and the University alike and Nafiseh has done all that she can to help students continue to be successful in the course amidst a new, and often more complicated, set of circumstances. I sincerely appreciate Nafiseh for her dedication to teaching the online course and supporting her students; having Nafiseh as an instructor has made my job as the course’s administrator and coordinator that much easier and more enjoyable. Thank you Nafiseh for all that you do for onGEO and your students!
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll be directed to a form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Amanda Kreuze: Amanda is appointed as the instructor of the online version of ISS310: People & the Environment for the Spring Semester 2020. As the course administrator and coordinator, I could not do my job without a highly motivated and knowledgeable person like Amanda in that role. She truly cares for her students and does her best to make sure that they are not only successful, but also that their online experience in People & the Environment is positive. The situation that students (and instructors) now find themselves in is unfathomable in many regards, but Amanda continues to do all that she can to provide a safe and positive online environment for students to learn. Thank you Amanda for all that you do for onGEO and your students!
Ida Djenontin: In addition to maintaining high performance on her own work, Ida has been a great support to both me and students in her role as TA for two of my classes this Spring! She has done a yeoman job with grading, but more importantly, has taken many other steps to get to know the undergrad students and to help with management. These have been crucial in helping us all successfully navigate the transition to 'remote' instruction. I deeply appreciate her work ethic and positive demeanor.
Rajiv Paudel: We would like to recognize Rajiv Paudel, graduate student in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, for his unwavering understanding and compassion through an unprecedented semester. Rajiv is teaching GEO325 (Geographic Information Systems) for the Department this spring and found himself responsible for transitioning 42 students through a swift transition to remote learning. Throughout this transition, Rajiv has been concerned for his students and their situations, in and out of the virtual classroom. Rajiv has been willing to work individually with students to remedy technical challenges with the fully online labs and repeatedly put his students first. The onGEO group is grateful for all that you do, Rajiv!
Aaron Luedtke: Aaron is one of those exceptional graduate students who devotes a tremendous amount of energy on being one of the best teachers in our department. Aaron received the Harry Brown Graduate Fellowship for Academic Excellence from our department in 2019 and had previously received the Fred Williams Graduate Award for teaching in 2018. This year, he was again nominated for the Somers teaching Award in IAH. Academically and intellectually, Aaron is an outstanding student with numerous fellowships and awards. He received a short-term dissertation fellowship from the D'Arcy McNickle Center at Chicago's Newberry Library and the Everett Helm Visiting Fellowship from the Lily Library at Indiana University. His article on Indigenous communities in the Great Lakes will be published in the forthcoming collection, The Northern Midwest and the US-Canada Borderlands: Essays on a Lost Region, in 2020.
Steve Anderson: Steve has been a teaching assistant for one of our department's largest courses--Introduction to Comparative Politics--for several semesters. Given the number of students and the nature of the assignments, this is not an easy job, and Steve always performs beyond expectations. He provides quick, careful, and helpful feedback to students on their work, and he is careful and reliable. Our students are lucky to have him as a teacher, and I'm lucky to have him as an assistant!
Kesicia Dickinson: Kesicia is so smart, kind, and respectful. She is inclusive and strong and serves as a mentor to our newest students of color. She is constantly empowering other students who feel out of place in the academy and creating space for them to shine. When some students -- especially her more junior peers of color – feel isolated and feel imposter syndrome, she goes out of her way to remind them that they have earned their space in the discipline and reminds them that they have so much to contribute. Our department is trying so hard to build a minority politics initiative, and without Kesicia and her persistence, encouragement, and participation, we would be a much worse group and department. She kills people with kindness, is genuine, constructive, and empowering. I am so proud to have her as a student in the discipline. I have yet to meet someone as inclusive and encouraging as Kesicia.
Natasha Fowler: I’d like to give a huge shout out to Natasha for being an amazing mentor this year! She’s been helping me with my UURAF poster, and I have learned so much from her. From the background science to the research process as a whole, Natasha has played a crucial part in my learning. The process of researching, making, and presenting this poster to the lab has been an amazing experience overall and I couldn’t have done it without Natasha. Thank you so much for your help, patience, and enthusiasm Natasha!
Megan Mikhail: Megan, I'm so happy you are in our lab! I so enjoy when you present and teach in our lab meetings, you make the science so easy to understand and also so engaging. You are clearly passionate about your work and it is so awesome to see. I always appreciate your insights as well, you offer such constructive and thoughtful input into research discussions. You're a joy to work with!
Nafiseh Haghtalab: Nafiseh is appointed as the instructor of the online version of GEO204: World Regional Geography for Spring Semester 2020. These are unparalleled times for our world, students and the University alike and Nafiseh has done all that she can to help students continue to be successful in the course amidst a new, and often more complicated, set of circumstances. I sincerely appreciate Nafiseh for her dedication to teaching the online course and supporting her students; having Nafiseh as an instructor has made my job as the course’s administrator and coordinator that much easier and more enjoyable. Thank you Nafiseh for all that you do for onGEO and your students!
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll be directed to a form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Posted by: Makena Neal
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: The MSU Graduate Le...
Grad Student Survey in the College of Social Science
Jacob built upon his previous work as a second-year Fellow by communicating the results of his graduate student survey to college and department leadership, advocating for graduate student presence on the Student Advisory Council, and continuing to develop a database of Social Science-based GSOs.
Authored by: Jacob Bradburn
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu Educator...
College of Social Science 2021 #iteachmsu Educator Award Recipients
The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from the College of Social Science. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Christina DeJong: Dr. DeJong has gone above and beyond what is necessary (or even expected) of an instructor and mentor in the 4 years I have been her student. She has strived during class time to make the materials understandable, acknowledging that different students come into the class with different levels of understanding; made class projects useful in applying practical skills; and tailored assignments to help students succeed (including giving practice writing for social science publications). She also focuses on important and often under-prioritized issues within the field of Criminal Justice (e.g., trans issues, sexual assault, genocide). She is so open and kind that no question feels to silly to ask, even in advanced statistical courses, and she has made herself available outside of class like no other instructor I have ever had. For example, she put on a summer course-- completely of her own time and volition-- to help students learn "R" the statistical analysis software, merely because it is a free software she thought might be useful to us upon graduation if we didn't have the same resources we have at MSU. Finally, during the beginning of Covid-19, even when the School and University weren't sure what was happening, she personally reached out to students to see how they were doing, and arranged an online teaching forum and meetings for current graduate student instructors, again, entirely on her own time and of her own volition. She also provides space for students to touch base with her and with one another, which, during this incredibly unsure and isolating time is truly invaluable. I can not speak highly enough of her, and believe that her hard work should be recognized and emulated in every department at MSU.
Skylar Dewitt: Skylar is very hardworking and does a tremendous amount for our lab. She is also very genuine and kind.
Eddie Boucher: Thanks for helping me learn how to use Mediaspace! It is intimidating to learn something new and I appreciate your tutorial
Lindsay Ackerman: Lindsay is always working to give our lab a positive atmosphere, help out RA's, and keep our study running. I am inspired by how much she does with a smile and how she is always happy to talk or answer questions.
Sean Hankins: Sean is just an awesome teacher. His passion for teaching and helping others always shines through and makes learning the material so engaging. I love how welcome he makes his students feel.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll see a short form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Christina DeJong: Dr. DeJong has gone above and beyond what is necessary (or even expected) of an instructor and mentor in the 4 years I have been her student. She has strived during class time to make the materials understandable, acknowledging that different students come into the class with different levels of understanding; made class projects useful in applying practical skills; and tailored assignments to help students succeed (including giving practice writing for social science publications). She also focuses on important and often under-prioritized issues within the field of Criminal Justice (e.g., trans issues, sexual assault, genocide). She is so open and kind that no question feels to silly to ask, even in advanced statistical courses, and she has made herself available outside of class like no other instructor I have ever had. For example, she put on a summer course-- completely of her own time and volition-- to help students learn "R" the statistical analysis software, merely because it is a free software she thought might be useful to us upon graduation if we didn't have the same resources we have at MSU. Finally, during the beginning of Covid-19, even when the School and University weren't sure what was happening, she personally reached out to students to see how they were doing, and arranged an online teaching forum and meetings for current graduate student instructors, again, entirely on her own time and of her own volition. She also provides space for students to touch base with her and with one another, which, during this incredibly unsure and isolating time is truly invaluable. I can not speak highly enough of her, and believe that her hard work should be recognized and emulated in every department at MSU.
Skylar Dewitt: Skylar is very hardworking and does a tremendous amount for our lab. She is also very genuine and kind.
Eddie Boucher: Thanks for helping me learn how to use Mediaspace! It is intimidating to learn something new and I appreciate your tutorial
Lindsay Ackerman: Lindsay is always working to give our lab a positive atmosphere, help out RA's, and keep our study running. I am inspired by how much she does with a smile and how she is always happy to talk or answer questions.
Sean Hankins: Sean is just an awesome teacher. His passion for teaching and helping others always shines through and makes learning the material so engaging. I love how welcome he makes his students feel.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll see a short form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Posted by: Makena Neal
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu Educator...
College of Social Science 2022 #iteachmsu Educator Award Recipients
The following is a list of the educators receiving the #iteachmsu Educator Award from College of Social Science. For more information on these awards, check out the article entitled "#iteachmsu Educator Awards".
Kevin Ford: On the first day of the semester, Dr. Ford told us how excited he was to teach this class because he took this class in college and it made him want to get a PhD in Organizational Psychology. Dr. Ford shows up to every single lecture with the same level of enthusiasm and love for teaching. I have never had a professor convey so much passion about their class in my four years here at MSU. He makes himself available whenever he has the time for office hours, questions, advice, etc. Dr. Ford is an effective professor because he's an expert in his field but also an expert communicator. He lectures conversationally, is personable and approachable. Multiple people always stay after class to update them about life events and talk about what they found interesting in the lecture. Dr. Ford has intentionally connected course topics to relevant life skills and knowledge, so I have gained even more than I thought I would from taking his class. Dr. Ford is an outstanding professor, researcher and mentor and deserves to be recognized.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll see a short form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Kevin Ford: On the first day of the semester, Dr. Ford told us how excited he was to teach this class because he took this class in college and it made him want to get a PhD in Organizational Psychology. Dr. Ford shows up to every single lecture with the same level of enthusiasm and love for teaching. I have never had a professor convey so much passion about their class in my four years here at MSU. He makes himself available whenever he has the time for office hours, questions, advice, etc. Dr. Ford is an effective professor because he's an expert in his field but also an expert communicator. He lectures conversationally, is personable and approachable. Multiple people always stay after class to update them about life events and talk about what they found interesting in the lecture. Dr. Ford has intentionally connected course topics to relevant life skills and knowledge, so I have gained even more than I thought I would from taking his class. Dr. Ford is an outstanding professor, researcher and mentor and deserves to be recognized.
Anyone can recognize a fellow Spartan for their contributions to MSU's teaching and learning mission or for how they made a lasting impression on your experience. All you have to do is click "Thank an Educator" in the left panel of iteach.msu.edu. From there you'll see a short form where you can enter the name, netID, and a short story of the educator you'd like to recognize.
Posted by: Makena Neal
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: The MSU Graduate Le...
Survey on Toxic Work Environments within the College of Social Science
Being mutually invested in issues and initiatives pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion within their College, Tatiana and Courtney worked on developing a survey as a means to gain details on the relative toxic environment within their college. They received the support of several stakeholders, including Dr. Achebe. Their work is currently on-going.
Authored by: Courtney Bryant & Tatiana Bustos
Navigating Context
Posted on: PREP Matrix
Web Center for Social Research Methods
The Web Center for Social Research Methods provides resources related to applied social research and evaluation.
Posted by: Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: The MSU Graduate Le...
Natural Science Leadership Fellows
Leadership Fellows
2017-2020: Alex Wright
2020-2021: Acacia Ackles & Lindsay Williams
2021-2022: Katie Westby & Samridhi Satija
2021-2023: Daniel Puentes
Alex Wright (2017-2020)Alex Wright leveraged his position as the first Natural Science Leadership Fellow to build lasting relationships within the college and inform guidelines and feedback mechanisms for peer-mentoring. Working closely with Dean Phillip M. Duxbury, Alex authored, promoted, and helped implement strategies from his Peer Mentoring Program Guide. Alex ended his three-year fellowship in 2020 by working with stakeholders within the College to develop feedback mechanisms to measure and improve faculty mentoring and departmental graduate program policies. His successes helped secure funding for an additional Natural Science Leadership Fellow the next year, and we were able to welcome Acacia Ackles and Lindsay Williams as Fellows for 2020-2021.
Acacia Ackles (2020-2021)One of two 2020-2021 Natural Science Fellows, Acacia Ackles worked with a network of instructors across multiple institutions to draft an article on creating more equitable graduate admissions in the biological sciences. Their team drafted an article for submission to the American Naturalist’s call for special section papers on Nature, Data, and Power. Though the article was rejected, Acacia’s team is currently seeking a home for the proposal and the article itself. The proposal pulled together existing literature on equitable admissions, as well as expertise from faculty working across public, regional, and private institutions, from R1 to primarily teaching. The article aims to create a guide for Michigan State University and other biological science departments to assess and revise their admissions processes.Lindsay Williams (2020-2021)Lindsay Williams used her Fellowship to improve advertising and availability of career services and information on alternative careers for graduate students within the College of Natural Science. Lindsay began creating a guide for alternative career pathways for graduate students and working with Elizabeth Averkiadi, a Communication Arts and Sciences Ph.D. student, to create an undergraduate workshop titled “Ways of Researching” to introduce undergraduates to the research experience outside of academia.Katie Westby (2021-2022)Katie, drawing on over a decade of professional teaching experience, decided to address the unique accessibility needs within math education. Working closely with two faculty members in her department, Katie gained institutional support and funding to create a professional development workshop series for mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants about compliance and inclusion from an anti-deficit, anti-ableist perspective. The goals of her workshops were to increase knowledge among GTAs about accommodations, understanding disability through a sociopolitical lens, and becoming comfortable creating a more inclusive learning environment. The workshop also helped participants write diversity and teaching statements.
Samridhi Satija (2021-2022)Samridhi decided to focus on supporting graduate students who identify as women. She collaborated with Heather Shea, the director of the Women*s Student Services office, to host the SmartStart program, a program designed to help women with salary negotiations in professional settings. Salary negotiation skills are one way to address the wage gap that exists across genders. Daniel Puentes (2021-2023)Daniel’s project focused on advocating for guaranteed transitional funding for graduate students who are forced to move to new labs or assistantships due to issues with their supervisor. Graduate students are financially vulnerable, especially when their funding is tied to a particular advisor or lab, and this funding would provide a safety net and financial security so students can prioritize their wellbeing. He created a survey to highlight the need for this type of emergency funding and in the process of submitting a proposal to the Graduate School based on benchmarking of similar programs at other institutions.
2017-2020: Alex Wright
2020-2021: Acacia Ackles & Lindsay Williams
2021-2022: Katie Westby & Samridhi Satija
2021-2023: Daniel Puentes
Alex Wright (2017-2020)Alex Wright leveraged his position as the first Natural Science Leadership Fellow to build lasting relationships within the college and inform guidelines and feedback mechanisms for peer-mentoring. Working closely with Dean Phillip M. Duxbury, Alex authored, promoted, and helped implement strategies from his Peer Mentoring Program Guide. Alex ended his three-year fellowship in 2020 by working with stakeholders within the College to develop feedback mechanisms to measure and improve faculty mentoring and departmental graduate program policies. His successes helped secure funding for an additional Natural Science Leadership Fellow the next year, and we were able to welcome Acacia Ackles and Lindsay Williams as Fellows for 2020-2021.
Acacia Ackles (2020-2021)One of two 2020-2021 Natural Science Fellows, Acacia Ackles worked with a network of instructors across multiple institutions to draft an article on creating more equitable graduate admissions in the biological sciences. Their team drafted an article for submission to the American Naturalist’s call for special section papers on Nature, Data, and Power. Though the article was rejected, Acacia’s team is currently seeking a home for the proposal and the article itself. The proposal pulled together existing literature on equitable admissions, as well as expertise from faculty working across public, regional, and private institutions, from R1 to primarily teaching. The article aims to create a guide for Michigan State University and other biological science departments to assess and revise their admissions processes.Lindsay Williams (2020-2021)Lindsay Williams used her Fellowship to improve advertising and availability of career services and information on alternative careers for graduate students within the College of Natural Science. Lindsay began creating a guide for alternative career pathways for graduate students and working with Elizabeth Averkiadi, a Communication Arts and Sciences Ph.D. student, to create an undergraduate workshop titled “Ways of Researching” to introduce undergraduates to the research experience outside of academia.Katie Westby (2021-2022)Katie, drawing on over a decade of professional teaching experience, decided to address the unique accessibility needs within math education. Working closely with two faculty members in her department, Katie gained institutional support and funding to create a professional development workshop series for mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants about compliance and inclusion from an anti-deficit, anti-ableist perspective. The goals of her workshops were to increase knowledge among GTAs about accommodations, understanding disability through a sociopolitical lens, and becoming comfortable creating a more inclusive learning environment. The workshop also helped participants write diversity and teaching statements.
Samridhi Satija (2021-2022)Samridhi decided to focus on supporting graduate students who identify as women. She collaborated with Heather Shea, the director of the Women*s Student Services office, to host the SmartStart program, a program designed to help women with salary negotiations in professional settings. Salary negotiation skills are one way to address the wage gap that exists across genders. Daniel Puentes (2021-2023)Daniel’s project focused on advocating for guaranteed transitional funding for graduate students who are forced to move to new labs or assistantships due to issues with their supervisor. Graduate students are financially vulnerable, especially when their funding is tied to a particular advisor or lab, and this funding would provide a safety net and financial security so students can prioritize their wellbeing. He created a survey to highlight the need for this type of emergency funding and in the process of submitting a proposal to the Graduate School based on benchmarking of similar programs at other institutions.
Posted by: Emma Dodd
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Reimagining First-Year Writing for STEM Undergraduates as Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Studies
How can a first-year writing course help to create 21st century STEM students with foundations for interdisciplinary inquiry? Could such as curriculum engage STEM students in knowledge production in ways that help to acculturate them as collaborative, ethical, and empathetic learners? Bringing together insights from writing pedagogy, work on critical science literacy, and science studies, this round-table is hosted by the collaborative team leading an effort to rethink the first year writing course required of all students at Lyman Briggs College, MSU's residential college for STEM students. A major goal of the curriculum redesign is to develop science studies-inspired writing assignments that foster reflective experiential learning about the nature of science. The purpose of this approach is not only to demonstrate the value of inquiry in science studies (history, philosophy, and sociology of science) to STEM students as they pursue their careers, but to foster diverse inclusion in science by demystifying key aspects of scientific culture and its hidden curriculum for membership. Following the guidance of critical pedagogy (e.g. bell hooks), we aim to use the context of first-year writing instruction as an opportunity for critical reflection and empowerment. The roundtable describes how the instructional team designed the first-year curriculum and adapted it to teaching online during the pandemic, and shares data on lessons learned by both the instructor team and our students. We invite participants to think with us as we continue to iteratively develop and assess the curriculum.To access a PDF version of the "Reimagining First-Year Writing for STEM Undergraduates as Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Studies" poster, click here. Description of Poster:
Reimagining First-Year Writing for STEM Undergraduates as Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Studies
Marisa Brandt, HPS Lyman Briggs College & June Oh, English
Project Overview: Reimagining LB 133
Lyman Briggs College aims to provide a high quality science education to diverse students by teaching science in social, human, and global contexts. LB 133: Science & Culture fulfills the Tier 1 writing requirement for 80-85% of LBC students. Starting in F19, we implemented a new, collaboratively developed and taught cohort model of the LB 133 curriculum in order to take advantage of opportunity to foster a community of inquiry, inclusion, and curiosity.
First year college writing and literacy courses aim to give students skills to communicate and evaluate information in their own fields and beyond. While teaching important writing skills, LB 133 focuses on developing students’ science literacy by encouraging them to enact a subject position of a socially engaged science professional in training. LB 133 was designed based on ideas of HPS.
History, Philosophy, and Sociology (HPS) or “science studies” is an interdisciplinary field that studies science in context, often extended to include medicine, technology, and other sites of knowledge-production. LB 133 centers inquiry into relations of science and culture. One way HPS can help students succeed in STEM is by fostering inclusion. In LB 133, this occurs through demystifying scientific culture and hidden curriculum through authentic, project-based inquiry.
Like WRAC 110, LB 133 is organized around five writing projects. Each project entails a method of inquiry into science as a social, human practice and teaches them to write first as a form of sense-making about their data. (Column 2) Then, students develop writing projects to communicate what they have learned to non-scientific audiences.
Research Questions:
How did their conceptions of science change?[Text Wrapping Break] 2. Did their writing improve?[Text Wrapping Break] 3. What did they see as the most important ideas and skills they would take from the course?[Text Wrapping Break] 4. Did they want more HPS at LBC?
Data Collection:
[Text Wrapping Break]1. Analysis of the beginning and end of course Personal Writing assessments. [Text Wrapping Break]2. End of term survey. [Text Wrapping Break]3. Answers to course reflection questions.
Selected Results: See Column 3.
Conclusions: The new model seems successful! Students reported finding 133 surprisingly enjoyable and educational, for many reasons. Many felt motivated to write about science specifically, saw communication as valuable scientific skill. Most felt their writing improved and learned more than anticipated. Most learned and valued key HPS concepts and wanted to learn more about diversity in scientific cultures, and wanted to continue HPS education in LBC to do so.
Column 2 - Course Structure: Science & Culture
Assessment
Science Studies Content[Text Wrapping Break]Learning Goals
Literacy & Writing Skills Learning Goals
Part 1 - Cultures of Science
Personal Writing 1: Personal Statement [STEM Ed Op-ed][Text Wrapping Break]Short form writing from scientific subject position.
Reflect on evolving identity, role, and responsibilities in scientific culture.
Diagnostic for answering questions, supporting a claim, providing evidence, structure, and clear writing.
Scientific Sites Portfolio[Text Wrapping Break]Collaborative investigation of how a local lab produces knowledge.
Understand scientific practice, reasoning, and communication in its diverse social, material, and cultural contexts. Demystify labs and humanize scientists.
Making observational field notes. Reading scientific papers.
Peer review. Claim, evidence, reasoning. Writing analytical essays based on observation.
Part 2 - Science in Culture
Unpacking a Fact Poster
Partner project assessing validity of a public scientific claim.
Understand the mediation of science and how to evaluate scientific claims. Identify popular conceptions of science and contrast these with scientists’ practices.
Following sources upstream. Comparing sources.
APA citation style.
Visual display of info on a poster.
Perspectives Portfolio[Text Wrapping Break]Collaborative investigation of a debate concerning science in Michigan.
Identify and analyze how diverse stakeholders are included in and/or excluded from science. Recognize value of diverse perspective.
Find, use, and correctly cite primary and scholarly secondary sources from different stakeholder perspectives.
Learn communicating to a broader audience in an online platform.
Personal Writing 2: Letter + PS Revision[Text Wrapping Break]Sharing a course takeaway with someone.
Reflect again on evolving identity, role, and responsibilities in scientific culture.
Final assessment of answering questions, supporting a claim, providing evidence, structure, and clear writing.
Weekly Formative Assessments
Discussion Activities Pre-meeting writing about the readings
Reflect on prompted aspects of science and culture
Writing as critical inquiry.
Note-taking.
Preparation for discussion.
Curiosity Colloquium responses
200 words reflecting on weekly speaker series
Exposure to college, campus, and academic guests—including diverse science professionals— who share their curiosity and career story.
Writing as reflection on presentations and their personal value.
Some presenters share research and writing skills.
Column 3 - Results
Results from Personal Writing
Fall 19: There were largely six themes the op-ed assignments discussed. Majority of students chose to talk about the value of science in terms of its ubiquity, problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, and the way it prompts technological innovation.
Fall 21: Students largely focused on 1. the nature of science as a product of human labor research embedded with many cultural issues, and 2. science as a communication and how scientists can gain public trust (e.g., transparency, collaboration, sharing failure.)
F19 & S20 Selected Survey Results
108 students responding.The full report here.
92.5% reported their overall college writing skills improved somewhat or a lot.
76% reported their writing skills improved somewhat or a lot more than they expected.
89% reported planning to say in LBC.
Selected Course Reflection Comments
The most impactful things students report learning at end of semester.
Science and Culture: Quotes: “how scientific knowledge is produced” “science is inherently social” “how different perspectives . . . impact science” “writing is integral to the scientific community as a method of sharing and documenting scientific research and discoveries”
Writing: Quotes: “a thesis must be specific and debatable” “claim, evidence, and reasoning” “it takes a long time to perfect.” Frequently mentioned skills: Thesis, research skill (citation, finding articles and proper sources), argument (evidence), structure and organization skills, writing as a (often long and arduous) process, using a mentor text, confidence.
What do you want to learn more about after this course?
“How culture(s) and science coexist, and . . . how different cultures view science”
“Gender and minority disparities in STEM” “minority groups in science and how their cultures impact how they conduct science” “different cultures in science instead of just the United States” “how to write scientific essays”
Reimagining First-Year Writing for STEM Undergraduates as Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Studies
Marisa Brandt, HPS Lyman Briggs College & June Oh, English
Project Overview: Reimagining LB 133
Lyman Briggs College aims to provide a high quality science education to diverse students by teaching science in social, human, and global contexts. LB 133: Science & Culture fulfills the Tier 1 writing requirement for 80-85% of LBC students. Starting in F19, we implemented a new, collaboratively developed and taught cohort model of the LB 133 curriculum in order to take advantage of opportunity to foster a community of inquiry, inclusion, and curiosity.
First year college writing and literacy courses aim to give students skills to communicate and evaluate information in their own fields and beyond. While teaching important writing skills, LB 133 focuses on developing students’ science literacy by encouraging them to enact a subject position of a socially engaged science professional in training. LB 133 was designed based on ideas of HPS.
History, Philosophy, and Sociology (HPS) or “science studies” is an interdisciplinary field that studies science in context, often extended to include medicine, technology, and other sites of knowledge-production. LB 133 centers inquiry into relations of science and culture. One way HPS can help students succeed in STEM is by fostering inclusion. In LB 133, this occurs through demystifying scientific culture and hidden curriculum through authentic, project-based inquiry.
Like WRAC 110, LB 133 is organized around five writing projects. Each project entails a method of inquiry into science as a social, human practice and teaches them to write first as a form of sense-making about their data. (Column 2) Then, students develop writing projects to communicate what they have learned to non-scientific audiences.
Research Questions:
How did their conceptions of science change?[Text Wrapping Break] 2. Did their writing improve?[Text Wrapping Break] 3. What did they see as the most important ideas and skills they would take from the course?[Text Wrapping Break] 4. Did they want more HPS at LBC?
Data Collection:
[Text Wrapping Break]1. Analysis of the beginning and end of course Personal Writing assessments. [Text Wrapping Break]2. End of term survey. [Text Wrapping Break]3. Answers to course reflection questions.
Selected Results: See Column 3.
Conclusions: The new model seems successful! Students reported finding 133 surprisingly enjoyable and educational, for many reasons. Many felt motivated to write about science specifically, saw communication as valuable scientific skill. Most felt their writing improved and learned more than anticipated. Most learned and valued key HPS concepts and wanted to learn more about diversity in scientific cultures, and wanted to continue HPS education in LBC to do so.
Column 2 - Course Structure: Science & Culture
Assessment
Science Studies Content[Text Wrapping Break]Learning Goals
Literacy & Writing Skills Learning Goals
Part 1 - Cultures of Science
Personal Writing 1: Personal Statement [STEM Ed Op-ed][Text Wrapping Break]Short form writing from scientific subject position.
Reflect on evolving identity, role, and responsibilities in scientific culture.
Diagnostic for answering questions, supporting a claim, providing evidence, structure, and clear writing.
Scientific Sites Portfolio[Text Wrapping Break]Collaborative investigation of how a local lab produces knowledge.
Understand scientific practice, reasoning, and communication in its diverse social, material, and cultural contexts. Demystify labs and humanize scientists.
Making observational field notes. Reading scientific papers.
Peer review. Claim, evidence, reasoning. Writing analytical essays based on observation.
Part 2 - Science in Culture
Unpacking a Fact Poster
Partner project assessing validity of a public scientific claim.
Understand the mediation of science and how to evaluate scientific claims. Identify popular conceptions of science and contrast these with scientists’ practices.
Following sources upstream. Comparing sources.
APA citation style.
Visual display of info on a poster.
Perspectives Portfolio[Text Wrapping Break]Collaborative investigation of a debate concerning science in Michigan.
Identify and analyze how diverse stakeholders are included in and/or excluded from science. Recognize value of diverse perspective.
Find, use, and correctly cite primary and scholarly secondary sources from different stakeholder perspectives.
Learn communicating to a broader audience in an online platform.
Personal Writing 2: Letter + PS Revision[Text Wrapping Break]Sharing a course takeaway with someone.
Reflect again on evolving identity, role, and responsibilities in scientific culture.
Final assessment of answering questions, supporting a claim, providing evidence, structure, and clear writing.
Weekly Formative Assessments
Discussion Activities Pre-meeting writing about the readings
Reflect on prompted aspects of science and culture
Writing as critical inquiry.
Note-taking.
Preparation for discussion.
Curiosity Colloquium responses
200 words reflecting on weekly speaker series
Exposure to college, campus, and academic guests—including diverse science professionals— who share their curiosity and career story.
Writing as reflection on presentations and their personal value.
Some presenters share research and writing skills.
Column 3 - Results
Results from Personal Writing
Fall 19: There were largely six themes the op-ed assignments discussed. Majority of students chose to talk about the value of science in terms of its ubiquity, problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, and the way it prompts technological innovation.
Fall 21: Students largely focused on 1. the nature of science as a product of human labor research embedded with many cultural issues, and 2. science as a communication and how scientists can gain public trust (e.g., transparency, collaboration, sharing failure.)
F19 & S20 Selected Survey Results
108 students responding.The full report here.
92.5% reported their overall college writing skills improved somewhat or a lot.
76% reported their writing skills improved somewhat or a lot more than they expected.
89% reported planning to say in LBC.
Selected Course Reflection Comments
The most impactful things students report learning at end of semester.
Science and Culture: Quotes: “how scientific knowledge is produced” “science is inherently social” “how different perspectives . . . impact science” “writing is integral to the scientific community as a method of sharing and documenting scientific research and discoveries”
Writing: Quotes: “a thesis must be specific and debatable” “claim, evidence, and reasoning” “it takes a long time to perfect.” Frequently mentioned skills: Thesis, research skill (citation, finding articles and proper sources), argument (evidence), structure and organization skills, writing as a (often long and arduous) process, using a mentor text, confidence.
What do you want to learn more about after this course?
“How culture(s) and science coexist, and . . . how different cultures view science”
“Gender and minority disparities in STEM” “minority groups in science and how their cultures impact how they conduct science” “different cultures in science instead of just the United States” “how to write scientific essays”
Authored by: Marisa Brandt & June Oh
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: The MSU Graduate Le...
Comm Arts & Sciences Leadership Fellows
Leadership Fellows
2016-2018: Megan Jackson
2017-2019: Dominik Neuman
2019-2020: Matthew Klein
2021-2022: Radhika Sen
Megan Jackson (2016-2018)Megan’s work as the first Communication Arts & Sciences Leadership Development Fellow established strong connections with Dean Prabu David as she supported his goal of improving the graduate student experience. Together, they began a 1-credit course to increase awareness of college offerings and university resources, socialize students in the college, and begin to build community. Further, Megan worked with the college’s only GSO, The Association of Graduate Students in Communication (AGSCOM), to facilitate its official recognition as an RSO and supported Karen Cleveland’s new GSO in the Department of Media & Information. A September 2017 meeting between Megan, Dean David, and Matt Helm, the Director of Graduate Student Life & Wellness at the time, led to a social event held at the college that saw graduate students sharing lunch and discussing plans for future social events held off-campus.
Megan concluded her 2017 report with a reflection on change and the individual; “The success of graduate student collaboration, community, and leadership development is immensely dependent upon an individual, like the fellow, leading the effort within the college. [The] impact of the first year fellow in the college is highly visible as the Dean stated one of his top 5 goals for this academic year to be improving the graduate student experience. Change does not happen, change is led. With the fellow in place, this organic change is within reach and the immensely positive outcomes will be seen for years to come.”Dominik Neuman (2017-2019)During the first year of his Fellowship, Dominik Neumann built on Megan’s work creating social events for grad students in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences by hosting an event series called “Communication on Tap” at local bars in East Lansing where graduate students could share their research while tying in personal stories or humorous anecdotes in a laid-back and relaxed setting. This work-free space for socialization was organized following a survey to the college’s PhD students that determined the events could foster a sense of togetherness and community while working to overcome the feeling of disconnection graduate students perceive between their professional and personal lives.
Dominik began the second year of his Fellowship developing a peer-mentoring system and handbook for the college. His initial survey to PhD students demonstrated the need for individual mentorship, as compared to committee- or group-based support. Domink decided to create a “buddy system” for incoming students in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Buddies served to create respectful relationships and an open dialogue that could help incoming graduate students navigate East Lansing, campus resources, classroom dialogues, and other issues that may be relevant for the student.
Matthew Klein (2019-2020)As the third Fellow for the College of Communication Arts & Sciences, Matthew Klein worked closely with a faculty member within the College on a college-wide project looking at the impact of inclusive language on syllabi. Matthew was invested in contributing to College-level efforts related to inclusion, and in collaboration with his key stakeholders, he decided that a mixed-methods study would best serve them in pushing future initiatives forward. Matthew and his stakeholders intend to launch this study after the completion of his Fellowship year.
Radhika Sen (2021-2022)Radhika created Imagine MSU, an initiative that provided graduate students funding to enhance the graduate student community. Grounded in an awareness that a thriving university community is one in which a great variety of lived experiences and perspectives find voice, Radhika’s project aimed to build a stronger culture of belonging among students (which research indicates is a major indicator of student success and retention) at MSU by encouraging creative problem solving and student leadership and supporting the pursuit of innovative community‐building ideas prototyped and implemented in collaboration with students. Radhika applied for and received a Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant from MSU for $5,000. She also partnered with the Graduate School to access additional funds. She recruited a steering committee of faculty who reviewed 25 applications from graduate students and selected 3 projects to fund. The first project aimed to increase a sense of community amongst graduate students in the English department as well as learning how DEI issues intersect with research and writing. They proposed to hold several writing retreats and to bring in a speaker whose work focuses on indigenous studies. The second project proposed developing an LGBTQ+ History course for the MSU History department and developing LGBTQ+ culturally-responsive training for faculty and TAs to incorporate LGBTQ+ history into their current courses and support students in the College of Social Sciences. The third project proposed the creation of a multi-authored Spartan Zine series reflecting on the experiences of MSU graduate students during the pandemic in the hopes of both fostering belonging while honoring difference.
2016-2018: Megan Jackson
2017-2019: Dominik Neuman
2019-2020: Matthew Klein
2021-2022: Radhika Sen
Megan Jackson (2016-2018)Megan’s work as the first Communication Arts & Sciences Leadership Development Fellow established strong connections with Dean Prabu David as she supported his goal of improving the graduate student experience. Together, they began a 1-credit course to increase awareness of college offerings and university resources, socialize students in the college, and begin to build community. Further, Megan worked with the college’s only GSO, The Association of Graduate Students in Communication (AGSCOM), to facilitate its official recognition as an RSO and supported Karen Cleveland’s new GSO in the Department of Media & Information. A September 2017 meeting between Megan, Dean David, and Matt Helm, the Director of Graduate Student Life & Wellness at the time, led to a social event held at the college that saw graduate students sharing lunch and discussing plans for future social events held off-campus.
Megan concluded her 2017 report with a reflection on change and the individual; “The success of graduate student collaboration, community, and leadership development is immensely dependent upon an individual, like the fellow, leading the effort within the college. [The] impact of the first year fellow in the college is highly visible as the Dean stated one of his top 5 goals for this academic year to be improving the graduate student experience. Change does not happen, change is led. With the fellow in place, this organic change is within reach and the immensely positive outcomes will be seen for years to come.”Dominik Neuman (2017-2019)During the first year of his Fellowship, Dominik Neumann built on Megan’s work creating social events for grad students in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences by hosting an event series called “Communication on Tap” at local bars in East Lansing where graduate students could share their research while tying in personal stories or humorous anecdotes in a laid-back and relaxed setting. This work-free space for socialization was organized following a survey to the college’s PhD students that determined the events could foster a sense of togetherness and community while working to overcome the feeling of disconnection graduate students perceive between their professional and personal lives.
Dominik began the second year of his Fellowship developing a peer-mentoring system and handbook for the college. His initial survey to PhD students demonstrated the need for individual mentorship, as compared to committee- or group-based support. Domink decided to create a “buddy system” for incoming students in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Buddies served to create respectful relationships and an open dialogue that could help incoming graduate students navigate East Lansing, campus resources, classroom dialogues, and other issues that may be relevant for the student.
Matthew Klein (2019-2020)As the third Fellow for the College of Communication Arts & Sciences, Matthew Klein worked closely with a faculty member within the College on a college-wide project looking at the impact of inclusive language on syllabi. Matthew was invested in contributing to College-level efforts related to inclusion, and in collaboration with his key stakeholders, he decided that a mixed-methods study would best serve them in pushing future initiatives forward. Matthew and his stakeholders intend to launch this study after the completion of his Fellowship year.
Radhika Sen (2021-2022)Radhika created Imagine MSU, an initiative that provided graduate students funding to enhance the graduate student community. Grounded in an awareness that a thriving university community is one in which a great variety of lived experiences and perspectives find voice, Radhika’s project aimed to build a stronger culture of belonging among students (which research indicates is a major indicator of student success and retention) at MSU by encouraging creative problem solving and student leadership and supporting the pursuit of innovative community‐building ideas prototyped and implemented in collaboration with students. Radhika applied for and received a Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant from MSU for $5,000. She also partnered with the Graduate School to access additional funds. She recruited a steering committee of faculty who reviewed 25 applications from graduate students and selected 3 projects to fund. The first project aimed to increase a sense of community amongst graduate students in the English department as well as learning how DEI issues intersect with research and writing. They proposed to hold several writing retreats and to bring in a speaker whose work focuses on indigenous studies. The second project proposed developing an LGBTQ+ History course for the MSU History department and developing LGBTQ+ culturally-responsive training for faculty and TAs to incorporate LGBTQ+ history into their current courses and support students in the College of Social Sciences. The third project proposed the creation of a multi-authored Spartan Zine series reflecting on the experiences of MSU graduate students during the pandemic in the hopes of both fostering belonging while honoring difference.
Posted by: Emma Dodd
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
If you are interested in civic, social studies, gamified learning, or coding - you may be interested in this opportunity!
CTLI received a note that the Library of Congress is sponsoring a challenge to help improve public knowledge of civics – that is, the rights and responsibilities of citizens - by asking video game developers to create fun, lightweight video games related to civics that incorporate Library of Congress resources. The Library will award cash prizes to the winners and the games will be hosted on the Library's site for use by the public. The deadline for entries is 11/27/23.
You can find details on the rules and information on how to enter here: https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2023/06/help-the-library-of-congress-create-video-games-that-improve-public-knowledge-of-civics/
CTLI received a note that the Library of Congress is sponsoring a challenge to help improve public knowledge of civics – that is, the rights and responsibilities of citizens - by asking video game developers to create fun, lightweight video games related to civics that incorporate Library of Congress resources. The Library will award cash prizes to the winners and the games will be hosted on the Library's site for use by the public. The deadline for entries is 11/27/23.
You can find details on the rules and information on how to enter here: https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2023/06/help-the-library-of-congress-create-video-games-that-improve-public-knowledge-of-civics/
Posted by: Makena Neal
Host: CTLI
ChatGPT and Complex Aspects of Science Learning
The College of Education Fall 2023 Seminar Series “Teaching & Learning with Generative AI” is presented by CREATE for STEM and the Office of Academic & Student Affairs:
CREATE for STEM Seminar Series: ChatGPT and Complex Aspects of Science Learning
Nov. 14, 2023, at 12 p.m. EST
Presented by Dr. Rand Spiro, MSU
Register to attend via Zoom or join in person at 115 Erickson Hall
Navigating Context
EXPIRED