Department News

The grant is part of the NSF’s highly competitive science talent expansion program, which focuses on increasing the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates.

Eastern Michigan University’s project, entitled “Creative Scientific Inquiry Experience: Developing Integrated Science Curriculum to increase STEM Graduates,” is designed to increase the number of students graduating in STEM. The program will offer theme-linked courses with academic service-learning experiences and career exploration for students.

Dr. Joanne Caniglia, Nina Tratras Contis, and Kathy Stacey are co-investigators for the grant. This five-year project gives EMU a strong investment in and commitment to the future of our STEM graduates."

"Universities nationwide understand that science majors often drop out of math and science by their sophomore year," said Joanne Caniglia, "EMU's proposal envisions developing an innovative model that recruits, retains and graduates students with math and science majors."

"This program will allow us to integrate math and science courses. For example, a faculty member who teaches calculus would create questions which connect with the sciences," said Caniglia, "these will be specialized courses with a core theme that unifies them.” Faculty from math and science will have time to prepare and work together. The theme-linked courses will include an academic service component, with projects for students either through research or academic community service that deals with science.

This grant will be used by EMU to begin a program designed to increase the number of science and math students.

The main goal of the project is to integrate math and science to integrate the curriculum cohesion. "Faculty from math and science will have time to prepare and work together. It's the ideal way to teach", says Dr. Caniglia.