Seminar Series | Graduate Schools Respond to COVID-19: Promising Pathways to Innovation in Stem Education

Abstract

This seminar focuses on the findings from a study that surveyed senior graduate education officers across universities in the United States to identify and document the challenges posed by COVID 19 as universities attempted to ensure that Stem graduate students made academic and research progress and that STEM graduate programs survived. The research focused particular attention on understanding innovations developed as universities attempted to respond to the impact of the pandemic on teaching and learning.

Biographies

Debra W. Stewart is a Senior Fellow at NORC, and President Emerita of the Council of Graduate Schools. She is the PI of the NSF-funded study, COVID-19 Impact on Graduate STEM Education. Prior to joining NORC, Stewart served as president of the Council of Graduate Schools.  Previously, she served as vice-chancellor and dean of the Graduate School at North Carolina State University. Stewart has written on a wide array of higher education issues and lectures on higher education, research, and global competitiveness at major universities and education organizations around the world. She is the author or co-author of numerous scholarly publications on administrative theory, public policy, and education policy. Stewart has been the recipient of several awards, including honorary doctorates from Loyola University of Chicago and the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie; a Distinguished Alumna award from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education in the Southern Region.  She has served on several boards, including the Educational Testing Service Board; the International Advisory Board of the Freie Uniersitat Berlin; the International Board of the ITMO University in St. Petersburg, Russia; NASFA, the Association of International Educators.

Ann Kearns Davoren, Ph.D. is a senior research scientist with the Higher Education Analytics Center at NORC at the University of Chicago. In her role, she engages in technical and analytic activities and conducts substantive research in social science for governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, universities, and private foundations. Dr. Davoren was co-PI of the NSF funded study, COVID-19 Impact on Graduate STEM Education. She also has been the lead methodologist for much of NORC’s professional climate association and STEM field work. To more broadly understand the cultural climate within a field, it is important to determine the social dynamics within physical and virtual spaces and within other spaces, including the research ecosystem as a whole. Along with her climate work, Dr. Davoren has a large portfolio of research focusing on mental well-being of college students. Recent published work examines nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt among college students and mental health and substance use of sexual minority students. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, her MPA from Indiana University, Bloomington, and her PhD in research methodology from Loyola University, Chicago.

Erin Knepler, Ph.D. is a research scientist with the Higher Education Analytics Center at NORC at the University of Chicago. In her role, she manages a broad array of research projects and data collect efforts in social science for governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, universities, and private foundations. Dr. Knepler was the project director for the NSF funded study, COVID-19 Impact on Graduate STEM Education. She also has served in a similar role on many of NORC’s professional climate association and STEM field work.
Prior to NORC, Dr. Knepler was the Associate Director of Research and Higher Education and Workforce Research Lead at Public Agenda. In this role, she designed and analyzed representative surveys of the general public and specialized surveys for postsecondary leaders and content experts. Before joining Public Agenda, Dr. Knepler was a researcher and P-20 Program Director at the University System of Maryland. In this role, she worked at the intersection of policy and application, specializing in system and campus-level academic innovation work and research on academic/industry partnerships.
Dr. Knepler completed her bachelor’s degree in English and political science from Marquette University, her master’s degree in higher education policy and administration from Marquette University, and her Ph.D. in higher education administration and policy focusing on the economic implications of state higher education STEM policies on STEM degree production at the state level from University of Maryland, College Park.

About the EED Seminar Series

Registration is required prior to each seminar. SP21 seminars will take place via remote video conferencing. A link and password to each seminar will be sent once you register. Each seminar will be held live and may be recorded for archival and marketing purposes. If you have questions regarding this seminar series, please contact Dr. David Delaine.