Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (CEMaST)

About Us/Our Team

Mission and Goals

We cultivate success through a diverse culture of experiential learning, discovery, and innovation.

The overarching goal for the PASSION project is to support Cal Poly Pomona in becoming an important national model for an inclusive polytechnic university that inspires creativity and innovation, embraces local and global challenges, and transforms lives. Specifically, the project is designed to support STEM faculty in creating an inclusive atmosphere within the classroom, especially in critical transition courses, by attending to students’ motivation and other malleable social-psychological factors. To accomplish this overarching goal, the project is working to accomplish four more specific goals.

 

Principal Investigator

Paul Beardsley, PI- Biology, CEMaST

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences

A collaborative team of CPP faculty and external experts will implement short-term psychological interventions in first year critical transition STEM courses (introductory physics and calculus) to rigorously investigate the extent that these interventions improve student success and psychological well-being in the context of a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Publications:
Contact:

Viviane Seyranian, Co-PI, Psychology

Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFE)

Develop a sustainable professional development program for faculty to implement inclusive teaching practices, informed by an understanding of student motivation, cultural competence, and social/psychological insights into CPP students.

Upcoming Programs & Events

Contact:

Victoria Bhavsar, Co-PI, Faculty Center for Professional Development

College of Engineering

Develop and study a sustainable, flexible Technology-Assisted Supplemental Instruction (TASI) peer-support program in the College of Engineering to support students in a critical transition series of courses offered in students’ middle years, and evaluate the extent to which social psychological variables influence student outcomes.

Maximizing Engineering Potential

Contact:

Jessica Perez, Co-PI, CEMaST

College of Science

Develop and study a professional development approach to help CPP math instructors use active-learning calculus concept inventory questions (ConcepTests).

ConcepTests

Contact:

Arlo Caine, Co-PI, Mathematics and Statistics