Elevating STEM education in Mississippi and beyond
The Center for STEM Education offers Certificate, M.S., and Ph.D. programs in STEM education as well as opportunities to collaborate on STEM education research.
Why a class, certificate, or degree in the Center for STEM Education?
- Improve your ability to teach science and math to every kind of learner.
- Pursue tenure-track research and teaching positions at universities and colleges.
- Serve as STEM curriculum directors and school administrators.
- Develop programming for out-of-school organizations, museums, and learning centers.
Graduate students are the pinnacle of an institution, and we use one-on-one mentoring to help them succeed both on campus and beyond.
More information on graduate programs Plan a visit
Why collaborate with STEM Education researchers?
Our faculty are mathematics and science education researchers—with expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methods—working towards multiple research goals:
- Designing new ways to help children learn mathematical concepts.
- Investigating science lab activities that inspire high school students.
- Developing more equitable learning communities for K-12 classrooms.
- Exploring climate science through outdoor learning.
- Finding creative ways to use virtual learning tools to improve outcomes.
- Working with academic and industry partners to tie secondary STEM education to regional job opportunities.
Cutting-edge STEMed programs
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| Contact: Dr.%20Allison%20Downing | Contact: Tara%20Skelton or Chelsey%20Reid |
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USM is home to an innovative program that supports teachers across the state with virtual lessons in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for kindergarten through 8th grade classrooms in Mississippi. |
GenSea: Blue Economy Pathways introduces students to the vast career opportunities in our coastal corridor. This USM collaborative effort pairs the Center for STEM Education and the School of Ocean Science and Engineering, with generous support from the Hearin Foundation. |
| STEM on Demand | GenSea |
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| STEMontheGo is a new campus-wide initiative to provide free STEM teaching kits aligned to a variety of science and math disciplines for use by faculty and students to share important concepts through hands-on activities. | Funded by a DoDSTEM grant, the JROTC STEM Academy gives Cadets around the country the opportunity to interact with scientists and engineers, observe a broad range of STEM careers, and participate as part of a Cadet team to create, test, and improve their own solutions to STEM-focused engineering design challenges. |
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Contact: Dr.%20Allison%20Downing or Dr. Maria%20Wallace |
Contact: Dr.%20Julie%20Cwikla |
| STEMontheGO | JROTC |
Center-Sponsored STEM Competitions
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| Contact: Dr.%20Kendrick%20Buford | Contact: Dr.%20Kendrick%20Buford |
| Tri-Service – the Departments of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force – sponsored STEM competition which promotes original research and experimentation in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the high school level and publicly recognizes students for outstanding achievement. By connecting talented students, their teachers, and research professionals at affiliated symposia and by rewarding research excellence, JSHS aims to widen the pool of trained talent prepared to conduct research and development vital to our nation. | The Region I Science Fair covers the following counties: Adams, Amite, Clarke, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, Green, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Simpson, Smith, Walthall, Wayne, and Wilkinson. The Region I Science Fair services children in Grades 1st – 12th. |
| Junior Science and Humanities Symposium | Region I Science Fair |
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| The Mississippi Science Olympiad (MSO) is devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. | |
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Center News
JROTC STEM Leadership Academy Progressing at Impressive Rate
USM Center for Community Engagement Honors Hattiesburg Zoo
USM Professor Leads Research Team’s Presentation at STEM Event in Washington, D.C.
USM Professor Gisewhite Earns Prestigious Early Career Research Fellowship
STEMM leadership program kicks off at USM Gulf Park campus
New STEM workforce program brings Gen Z to the Sea
USM Launches STEM on Demand: Virtual Lessons for K-8 Mississippi Teachers
Hattiesburg Zoo Partners with USM Students on Exhibit Presentations
USM Education Faculty Member Wins ‘Best Paper of the Year’ in International Journal
USM receives $6M grant for JROTC STEM education partnership
Cwikla Named 2021-2023 Bennett Distinguished Professor of Math Education