NSM Professional Series in Teaching, Research, and Leadership
The Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is initiating an annual series focused on our pillars of excellence – teaching, research, and leadership – to bring together faculty and staff from across the departments to share expertise, support each other in these endeavors, and build collaborations.
- Teaching: Talk with NSM colleagues about effective classroom instruction, cutting-edge education research, and innovative curriculum design in our STEM classrooms.
- Research: Learn and discuss strategies from UT and NSM colleagues to secure funding and build robust networks and collaborations within the dynamic STEM fields.
- Leadership: Work alongside colleagues to cultivate strengths in career advancement, mentoring, well-being, and essential leadership qualities.
There will be four events each academic year hosted September through May, bookended by social gatherings.
2024-25 Academic Schedule
Check back for updates on pending information.
| Month | Topic | Date, Time, & Location | Title | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | A social event to welcome in the new year. | September 20 8 – 10 a.m. Student Union (SU) 272c Ballroom | Welcome Breakfast | Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics faculty are invited to mingle with new faculty members from the division and connect with current colleagues during the upcoming breakfast social. This is a relaxed event where you can drop in, grab breakfast, chat with new colleagues, and leave when you need to. |
| October | A teaching event bringing together talent from different NSM departments to share and discuss their innovative and inclusive teaching methods. | October 24 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Student Union (SU) 362b | Engaging in Active Learning in NSM Disciplines | Join Dean Kate Jones (Physics) and Stephanie Drumheller-Horton (EEPS) for a discussion on engaging students in the STEM classroom. |
| November | A research event to increase success and collaboration in research endeavors in NSM. | November 4 3 – 4 p.m. Zoom (Click here to attend) | PIVOT Training Workshop | Join the Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA), as they discuss PIVOT–a streamlined research funding search engine for faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. In this session, participants will learn best practices for building a tailored PIVOT profile with weekly, automated alerts and tracking funding opportunities. |
| February | Mentoring Graduate Students in Scientific Writing | February 18 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Student Union (SU) 362b | Mentoring NSM Students in Science Communication | Join Liz Derryberry (ecology and evolutionary biology) and Viktor Nemykin (chemistry) for a discussion on developing writing skills for graduate students. Come for short presentations from our speakers on courses their departments lead, and personal experiences working with students. After the presentations, engage with other attendees in small group discussions on best practices in mentoring scientific writing. |
| March | A teaching event featuring a special session of the Teaching and Learning Innovation Teaching Values Summit. | March 25 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. Student Union (SU) 262A | Are you a PoET and don’t know it? A community effort to advance teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences | Join colleagues from the Divisions of NSM, Social Sciences, and Arts and Humanities as we discuss teaching excellence in CAS. Members of the College of Arts and Sciences Community of Scholars to Advance Teaching Excellence (CATE) will present their work related to the recently adopted UT Principles of Excellence in Teaching (PoET). This session will inform attendees about CATE and PoET, including updates on projects: building customized engagement strategies for each large lecture classroom on campus, developing a peer teaching observation program based on PoET, defining strategies to build instructor-student rapport in large lecture classes, and promoting PoET to all instructors. Come join your instructor colleagues to get ideas and give us feedback on our work! Part of the UT Teaching Values Summit hosted by Teaching & Learning Innovation. |
| May | A social event inviting all division faculty and staff to tour science facilities at UT and celebrate the end of the semester with sweet treats. | May 14 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. 130 Hesler Biology Building Greenhouse | Science Social | Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics faculty and staff are invited to mingle, enjoy a sweet treat, and explore the Hesler Greenhouse at this end-of-semester social. Stop by between 1-4pm and join Dean Kate Jones and your colleagues to reflect on the year together, and enjoy ice cream from UT Creamery. Take a self-guided tour of the Biology Greenhouse and complete the Greenhouse scavenger hunt to earn a free potted succulent! Part of the NSM Professional Series and open to all faculty and staff within the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics |