TWU chemistry professors honored for advancing civically engaged STEM

Oct. 7, 2022 – DENTON – Texas Woman’s University chemistry professors Nasrin Mirsaleh-Kohan, PhD, and Richard D. Sheardy, PhD, have been named ambassadors for SENCER, the Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities.

The appointment of Kohan and Sheardy was in recognition of their work advancing civically engaged STEM learning and research.

SENCER is a project of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement, a non-profit organization that supports teachers and students in STEM education.

The ambassadors constitute SENCER’s core leadership, serve as advocates for civically engaged science, are committed to advancing SENCER’s inclusive and evidence-based curricular strategies, and support SENCER through workshops, symposia, conferences, and mentoring.

Kohan and Sheardy are co-directors of the SENCER Center for Innovation – Southwest, housed at TWU. Previously, they were members of a TWU group honored by the NCSCE with the William E. Bennett Award for leadership and commitment to advancing citizen science, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities recognized TWU’s chemistry and biochemistry division for incorporating civic engagement and social responsibility into curriculum.

SENCER, founded in 2001, is an international STEM reform network offering professional development, research, and assessment tools for interdisciplinary curricular innovation advancing undergraduate science.