Hanson Center Visiting Scholar Program

The Hanson Center’s Visiting Scholar Program was launched to help further our mission as a research and praxis center. The goal of the Visiting Scholar Program is to provide meaningful and sustained opportunities for Lafayette faculty to work directly with noted scholars doing innovative and important research in inclusive STEM education and inclusive STEM studies. Through interactions with the visiting scholar and associated efforts, we seek to foster evidence-based approaches that will promote greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in our programs, practices, and policies. We look forward to your participation in this yearlong program!

Participation

2023-2024 Visiting Scholar Michelle Smith uses a modeling activity to teach students in a non-majors evolution course.
[Cornell photo]

All faculty and staff are welcome to participate to help advance their own pedagogy and courses. We also encourage each department and program to identify a faculty/staff member or group of faculty/staff who will commit to participating in the year’s Visiting Scholar program. With the “point person” approach, we suggest that this individual is charged with attending the sessions and bringing the learning back to the department/program, as well as leading discussions (perhaps during an informal lunchtime session) about possible ways the department/program might benefit from the visiting scholar’s research. The department/program team approach envisions a group of faculty/staff working together throughout the year on a research project or initiative that is particularly relevant to the curriculum and teaching practices in the department/program. Whichever approach you take, we hope you see this as a distinctive opportunity to engage meaningfully throughout the year with an expert in inclusive STEM education.

Although our work focuses on STEM education, we also encourage faculty/staff from other disciplines to participate in the Hanson Center Visiting Scholar Program.

Candidates

Do you admire the work of a scholar in inclusive STEM education? Is there someone you and your colleagues would love to engage with over an extended period? Please consider nominating them to be the Hanson Center Visiting Scholar for the academic year 2024-2025! We are very interested in hearing from you as we work to bring a leading voice in inclusive STEM education to Lafayette College.

For the Hanson Center Visiting Scholar Program we are especially interested in scholars whose work is 1) centered on advancing inclusive STEM education and studies and applicable across multiple STEM fields, and 2) will be of interest to colleagues from a wide range of departments and programs.

Nominations for the Hanson Center Visiting Scholar are due Monday, May 20th. Please use this form to submit your nomination. Details about the program and the selection process can be found on the nomination form.

You can also contact Director Wendy Hill at hillw@lafayette.edu to discuss the program and your possible interests in nominating a scholar.

2023-2024 Visiting Scholar: Michelle Smith