COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:

THE COLLEGE’S PROGRESS IN

THE STEM AREAS

Dr. Barbara Hetrick, Dean

College of Arts and Sciences

Presentation Outline

What is STEM? Challenges of STEM Education STEM Progress in COAS

Coastal Biology Flagship Program STEM Progress in CCEC

Coastal Engineering Program Joint Activities between CCEC and COAS Questions

WHY STEM?

• Can no longer count on agriculture, tourism and real estate to provide economic foundation for Florida• Need knowledge- and technology-based economy

• 9 out of 10 of highest paying fields are STEM• Workforce shortage for STEM fields

Challenges for STEM Education

1. Eroding interest in science and math

• National Science Board – U.S. now 17th in proportion of college students majoring in science, though in 1970 U.S. ranked 3rd.

• 1970 – U.S. graduated over half of world’s science and engineering doctorates, now closer to 15%

• 2007 Newsweek article: “Americans don’t do science anymore”

○ In 9th grade girls show same interest in science and math as boys, but…

Women are 46% of workforce, but only 23% of science and technology workforce. African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are 24% of workforce, but only 7% of science and

technology workforce.

• Less than 25% of students attending SUS schools are in STEM fields

2. Student Preparation in STEM

More than half of students entering community colleges require remediation

Students in Florida perform below students in many other states in science and math

Test scores may be rising, as are the number of hours of advanced credit students enter college with, but basic skills are still lacking.

2006    50% of UNF students transferred in  13 hours of Gen. Ed. credit2010    65%  of UNF students transferred in 16 hours (now 19 hrs)

  Though Calculus 1 is the gateway course for STEM fields, last fall 1500 seats

were taken in preparatory classes and only 180 in Calculus 1.

What are we doing about it? Outreach to local schools

Mayport Middle School Physics Internship Pace School Chemistry Outreach Math Camp Joe Berg Society

Student Retention Moving students into the colleges as soon as possible First-year Seminars/Venture Studies

Post-enrollment skills development 21st Century Education (see handouts)

○ UNF Reads UNF Writes○ Math Boot Camp Portfolio Project

Providing the best programs possible for majors Undergraduate Research programs Strong Departments/ Strong Majors

Science and Math at UNF

% of Student Credit Hours Delivered by COAS

1999 2011

Math 13.1 11.6

Biology 7.3 8.5

Chemistry 4.3 3.9

Physics 3.2 4.1

Total 27.9 28.1

Department of Mathematics/Statistics

1999-2004 2005-2010

Average per yearStudent Credit Hours 22,283 27,835

Number of Majors 65 111

Tenure Track Faculty 19 23

Innovations: Math Boot Camp Math Emporium

Timeline for Major Changes in Sciences

Department of

Natural Sciences

Department of Biology

Department of Chemistry and Physics

Department of Chemistry

Department of Physics

Pre-2001 2003 2009

Department of Physics

1999-2004 2005-2010

Total Publications 25 54

Total External Funds $558,086 $6,265,651

Average per yearExternal Funding $93K $1.04M

Student Credit Hours 5884 8609

# Majors 12 33

Tenure Track Faculty 5 6

UNF Physics Graduates Graduate Schools Attended: Stanford University, Ohio State University, University of California Berkeley, University of South Florida, Cologne University in Germany, University of Florida, Auburn University, Florida State University, University of California Davis, Mayo Clinic Medical School, Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo

Physics Graduates Private Industry: National

Laboratories: Halliburton Los Alamos General Electric NASA Blue Cross Lockheed Martin

Military: U.S. Navy, Marines, Air Force

Chemistry Department Prior to 2009

Considerable difficulty hiringMore instructors than tenure track facultyModest research output

Since 2009External chair hiredFive new tenure track faculty hiredResearch infrastructure strengthened,

proposals submitted

Department of Biology 2001 – 2002

9 tenure track faculty8 Instructors

B.S. w/ 73 degrees

awarded

No graduate program

5 Grants & Contracts =$339K

2010-201118 tenure track faculty6 Instructors

B.S. w/134 degrees awarded

MA and MS w/ 9 degrees

18 Grants & Contracts

= $1.2M

Department of Biology

1999-2004 2005-2010

Average per yearStudent Credit Hours 13,071 19,074

# Majors 272 467

Major Changes

2006 - Flagship Awarded in Coastal Biology

2010 - GTM partnership

2012 - New Medical Lab Sciences community partnership

- New Biology Building

Biology FacilitiesBuildings 1, 3, 4, 9 & Golf Annex New Biology Building

Department of Biology

Where do UNF Graduates go to Medical School?

Emory University School of Medicine

Florida State University

Georgetown University School of Medicine

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Meharry Medical College

Rush Medical College

Stanford University School of Medicine

University of Miami School of Medicine

University of Florida

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

University of South Florida College of Medicine

University of Utah School of Medicine

UNF Students accepted into MD and DO Schools

Where do UNF Graduates go to Medical School?

Emory University School of Medicine

Florida State University

Georgetown University School of Medicine

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Meharry Medical College

Rush Medical College

Stanford University School of Medicine

University of Miami School of Medicine

University of Florida

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

University of South Florida College of Medicine

University of Utah School of Medicine

Biology Facilities

Buildings 1, 3, 4, 9 & Golf Annex

New Biology BuildingSeawater SystemTwo Aquatic laboratoriesGreenhouse

Coastal Biology Resources

Vessels & Equipment Vehicles

Coastal Biology Flagship Program2006-2010 Five tenure-track faculty added plus three

research scientists who specialize in Coastal subjects including: Marine Mammal BiologyCoastal WetlandsSeagrassesShark BiologyMarine FisheriesMarine mammal BehaviorToxicology in the Marine EnvironmentFish Ecology

Program Development Two tracks within the Biology B.S. program. Summer course on Teaching Coastal

Biology Summer course for middle school students

at Mayport Middle School Member of the Florida Institute of

Oceanography Development of monitoring program at

nearby Guana-Tolomata-Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM-NERR).

UNF/GTM-NERR ProgramEducation & Research

Dr. Matt Kimball –GTM Research Coordinator

Dr. Matt Kimball – Assistant Professor and GTM-NERR

Research Coordinator

Student Accomplishments 55 graduate and undergraduate students have received funding

to attend scientific meetings and present their research. Many have progressed to jobs or graduate school including. Ralph Perkerson, M.S. 2009 is in the Dept. of Integrative Biology, Ph.D.

program in at Univ. South Florida. Kelly Flynn, M.S. 2009, teacher in the Port Angeles school system, WA. Katya Shuster-Barber , M.S. 2009 is in the Ph.D. program at the

University of Florida. Diana Silva, M.S. 2010, works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mark Henke, M.S. 2010 is in the Ph.D. program in Marine Biology at

UNC-Wilmington. Christy Foust, M.S. 2010 is in the Dept. of Integrative Biology, Ph.D.

program in at Univ. South Florida. Curtis Burkholder, M.S. 2010, is in the Ph.D. program, Rutgers Univ. Christina Walker, M.S. 2011 is employed at the Whitney Lab for Marine

Bioscience.

Community Outreach

Sponsored a Sea Level Rise Workshop for state and local agency personnel.

Host an evening lecture series for the public featuring prominent coastal scientists.

Offer speakers for interested public groups.

Host school groups on campus. Hosted meetings for state and national

scientific societies.

Noteworthy Coastal Research Analysis of diet needs of commercial

shrimp Survey of shark pupping and nursery in

NE Florida waters. Reproductive Biology of Blacknose

Sharks Sawfish research Gene flow among shark populations Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Research

FUTURE? New facilities on campus greatly expand both

teaching and research capability. GTM-NERR/UNF Partnership could potentially

provide on-the-water lab and research facilities. Florida Institute of Oceanography has proposed

a oceanographic vessel for the East Coast which would allow expansion of our capability and faculty.

Potential synergy between the Taylor Coastal Engineering Institute and the Coastal Biology Program.