Every funded grant has a good acronym!

Good acronyms help spread the word about your work and get your project funded! Here are a few of my favorite projects (and groups) and their acronyms.

SOAP: Science Outcomes Assessment Plan

This small study surveyed approximately 100 students at Columbus State University to examine 10  factors affecting student success in “gateway  to major” STEM courses. The goals included learning ways to reduce unproductive grades and to provide opportunities for professional development of faculty in development of attainable learning outcomes for students. This grant was funded internally and a report (opens in a new tab) was provided to the provost of academic affairs with our recommendations. (Webster as lead author of proposal and report, with Dr. Kimberly Shaw and Dr. Pinar Gurkas as Co-I.)

PORT: Physics Online Revise and Transform

This internally funded (by NCSU’s DELTA) project reformed 4 online physics courses at the introductory level during the 2020-2021 academic year.  Coordination from a course designer and regular meetings among the four participants helped make this project successful in creating courses with more support available to students taking Physics online.  The courses were PY 131 (Dr. Keith Warren),  PY 211 (Dr. Keith Heyward), PY 205 (Dr. Zack Lewis) and PY 208 (Dr. Zodiac Webster, also lead author). Yan Shen served as our course designer and was crucial in helping us implement strategies to encourage independent problem solving in our classes.

GEARS: Georgians Experience Astronomy Research in Schools

This grant allowed a multi-pronged approach to develop teachers knowledgeable in astronomy via on-line college coursework and summer workshops. We also drafted an online course for high school students, and developed curriculum to support online and in class astronomy teaching and learning using NASA missions and resources as the backbone and unifying theme. I served as primary author and institutional PI. This grant was awarded to the GA Dept. of Education. (PI: Juan-Carlos Aguilar, GA Dept. of Education. Additional institutional PI: Sarah Higdon, GA Southern University. ) Budget $1.36 million. Grant term July 2009 – June 2012.

MaSST Prep: Math and Science Secondary Teachers Preparation Council

Faculty from the College of Science and College of Education (Columbus State University) were convened to create and sustain new programs in secondary science and mathematics teacher preparation. I  served as chair during the planning and initial execution phases of these majors. We created the degree programs, got them approved at the University and GA State levels and recruited majors.

POSSE: Promoters of Outstanding Standards Based Education

Faculty ambassadors who participated in a statewide initiative to introduce university faculty to standards based education were recruited to conduct workshops for faculty across the Columbus State University campus. Workshops included creating learning outcomes for new faculty and creating program outcomes for department chairs.

#STEMLikeAGirl

This after school club for high school girls was created at NC School of Science and Mathematics as an offshoot of a “mini-term” (7 day) course about psychological and social factors affecting the success and persistence of girls in STEM courses.  This course was researched and co-led by Dr. Angela Teachey, now Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Programs. The club morphed into a Girls Who Code club. Students empowered by the #STEMLikeAGirl experience created videos, snapchat filters, and a Facebook presence. Although my involvement in this project ended when I left NCSSM in 2017, this course was maintained by faculty at NCSSM through 2019 and the Girls Who code club continued through winter 2019.

LEAP: Launch your Excellent Adventure in Physics

This outreach program for high school girls ran for a day in summer 2018 and 2019 and was organized by Dr. Karen Daniels of NCSU Physics to introduce Physics lab research to interested high school girls. I led a 90 minute session about Unlocking Supernova Mysteries (opens in a new tab). This computer lab activity allowed students to analyze a supernova remnant spectrum to identify the  type of supernova.