Initial Publication Date: October 26, 2024

STEM+ Education Research Institute

SERI logo (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 52kB Oct26 24)

To establish a cross-college, multi-departmental STEM+ Education research institute that is a comprehensive source of information and support for faculty teams involved in STEM+ education research, scholarly and creative inquiry, and outreach

Vice President of Research 's office, New Mexico State University
Established: 2022

[seri.nmsu.edu]

Profile submitted by Dr. Susan Brown

Vision and Goals

To create a locus for STEM+ Education Research excellence that attracts talented faculty and staff, stimulates research, and fosters collaboration at NMSU.

Center/Program Structure

We are just in the beginning stages in that we have an interim Director and have plans to hire a permanent Director in the spring of 2025. The Vice President and assistant Vice President are the main administrators who have been instrumental in pursuing he establishment of this Institute. We have an administrative assistant who helps with all paperwork.

We have seven members of SERI at this time and the new membership form has just been approved by the Council of Deans; so that others who want to join can now proceed. Our seven members represent the Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Engineering, and Education Departments. Collaboration is the key and the Institute welcomes membership across campus because this fosters excellence and stimulates research.

Are there advantages of being structured this way?

Honestly, we are just beginning and wanted to join this network in order to find resources that will help us make permanent decisions that will support the success of our Institute. We have a simple structure with the VPR's office, the Director, the Council of Deans, Advisory Council, and the SERI members.

This group is close and we meet twice a month and talk about the struggles in writing a grant proposal, implementing the grant, collecting the research, etc. Together our success rate has been excellent in grant proposals that were awarded.

Are there particular challenges that result from this structure?
Not any challenges that have been an obstacle at this time.

Funding

At this time in our beginning stages the Vice President of Research is supporting the Interim Director of the Institute.

We just obtained the approval at the last Council of Deans meeting that we will be getting a small percentage of the IDC if a SERI member is the PI or Co Pi or support staff of a grant. We are also pursuing grants just for our Institute in terms of the administrative costs. We hope to eventually to have an income to hire post docs, grad students, fund project and pre-proposal activities, etc. This is the plan for the survival of our Institute.

How has this funding structure influenced the undergraduate STEM education programming the center offers?
As the SERI members write grants they include hiring undergraduate students to be on the research teams. We are fostering a research atmosphere that will enhance STEM+ success at all levels for all students, particularly those traditionally underrepresented in STEM.

What are the specific advantages of having a center funded in this way?
WE would have control of the direction of the Center and continue to promote excellence in STEM+Education Research that attracts talented faculty and staff, stimulates research, and foster collaboration at NMSU.

What are the challenges?
The challenge is getting organized and working with the budget departments of NMSU to be able to direct that SERI percentage to the Institute. We are working on this process right at the moment.

Has this funding structure has changed over time?
No, we have just started. It may change in the future if our first plan does not meet success.

Description of Programming

Our most successful wide reaching programs would be our STEM education afterschool programs for K-12th grades students. Plus our extensive professional development opportunities for K-12th grade teachers throughout the year and during the summer. We have had over 400 teachers in our afterschool programs and they participate in the professional development activities.
We have a program for teachers to earn a masters as a science and math elementary Specialist and we have the tuition paid for each participant.
Across the campus of New Mexico State University we work together to provide all day field trips for students K-12th grade. When a school wants to come, we divide the students in groups of 15 and rotate them across the campus where they enjoy participating in STEM hands on activities. This also gets them comfortable on the University campus.

Successes and Impacts

Our greatest impact has been with our STEM Outreach programs. At this time we are serving over 6,000 K-12th grade students in our afterschool STEM programs. We hire the teachers at each school and our enrollment has been very successful.
WE have over 50 programs, for example, that include: COUNT (Creating Opportunities Using Numerical Thinking), Reader's Theater (using books with the students creating plays and hands on activities in the STEM fields that connect with the book), Computer Programming, building robots, and the list continues.
The College of Engineering also has a robust outreach program that includes competitions in the field of building robots. They also offer a summer program that the students actually earn math credits. There are also summer programs in the southern school districts of New Mexico that are provided by our group's intense interest in promoting STEM education.
SERI also is hosting a conference this October that has the theme of: Translating Research in Practice: Elevating STEM Education in New Mexico.
The afterschool programs are evaluated each year and the funding has increased every year to millions for the students, K-12th grade, to participate in well prepared STEM programs. Also the number of teachers on campus has increased each year as they participate in the professional development opportunities.

Evaluation and Assessment

How does your center demonstrate its value, both in terms of assessing its own programming and responding to external evaluation?
The number of grants that increase the STEM outreach; as well as the interest in joining SERI. The members feel that the group chats and the feeling of belonging have increased their success rate in getting grant proposals awarded.
We look in the future for a more extensive evaluation team to join our group and document how well we are doing as well as describing our shortcomings and how we should address these.

Elements Contributing to Success

We have a Vice President of Research as well as the Assistant Vice President of Research that sees the value of this Institute and is backing our endeavors. Plus through the Council of Deans, all of the Deans are onboard and willing to contribute to SERI.
We were able to hire five new faculty that represent different colleges and they are the SERI cluster hire. They are a dynamic group who are interested in improving STEM Education, K-16.
They were able to hire an Interim Director who is devoting her time to SERI and all that needs to be completed as a successful organization that is a positive force on our campus that earns respect.

Supplemental Materials

First Year Report of SERI (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 88kB Oct26 24)