STEM Lab

Joseph Pelfrey, Deputy Director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, discusses his experiences in the thrilling world of space exploration and its impact on STEM education.  Joseph delves into the Artemis Generation that aims to return humans to the moon and pave the way for Mars exploration. He reflects on the lessons learned from historic space missions and emphasizes the importance of m...

Dr. Joshua Gargac, a mechanical engineering professor at Ohio Northern University, shares his approach to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering education, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, connections, and creating value.  He delves into his innovative teaching strategies, including mastery-based learning, competency-based assessment, and the flipped classroom model, to e...

Dr. Mary Annette Rose, Associate Professor of Educational Studies at Ball State University, delves into the critical need for integrating STEM education across various disciplines. Dr. Rose shares her insights on the challenges facing STEM education in the U.S., emphasizing the importance of breaking down subject silos and fostering a culture of collaboration and problem-solving in schools. She di...

How do we help students succeed in the virtual STEM classroom?  Kristal Martinez says that it takes individual attention and knowing who the students are.  Kristal has years of experience working with high school students enrolled in the virtual-synchronous advanced engineering certificate program at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics.  She discusses ho...

Dr. Matt Irvin, Professor of Educational Psychology and Research at the University of South Carolina, discusses rural STEM education and its alignment with burgeoning industry sectors like AI and advanced manufacturing. Dr. Irvin underscores the need for meaningful experiences that tether rural students to local job markets, and he describes how virtual education can offset teacher shortages. The...

Dr. Gordon Hamilton, Director of MathPickle.com, wants to revolutionize elementary school math education. This episode spotlights the Canadian mathematician’s unique puzzle-based teaching method. Discover how board games and scalable 'infinite pickle' puzzles entice young minds into complex problem-solving, fostering an inquiry-driven classroom where teachers and students unravel mathematical myst...

Dr. Kemper Talley, Senior Scientist at Raytheon BBN with a Ph. D. in energy science engineering and expertise in synthetic biology, biodefense, and bioethics, shares his passion for physics-based education, emphasizing the importance of strong mathematics and critical thinking. He calls for a shift towards experiential learning in physics, incorporating real-world applications and experiments. Fur...

What are the keys to excellence in STEM Education? Dr. Matt Martin, the academic dean at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, says that the most important factors in education success are integrity, trust, and caring.  Drawing on his experience as a Rhodes Scholar and his time as a Full Professor and Dean of Faculty at Wesleyan College, Matt discusses how to succe...

Technology is rapidly affecting the way students learn and transforming the classroom for educators.  How is this impacting student learning outcomes?  Dr. Eric Wiebe, Professor Emeritus at North Carolina State University and Senior Research Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, discusses the current use of technology, its effectiveness, and how it will expand in fut...

How does art inform science? What role does science have in art? What is the importance of art in science education? Joyce Symoniak, visual arts teacher at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, answers these questions and talks about the fact that science students need art skills. She provides specific classroom examples of how she has enhanced student creativity by integrating art, s...

What does the future STEM classroom look like? What will be the role of the human instructor? Dr. Alex Feltus, Professor of Genetics and Biochemistry at Clemson University, addresses these questions and discusses his passion for integrating discovery and real research into his own courses. As a specialist in biomedical data science and informatics, and as Chief Science Officer for PRAXIS, a digita...