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Science and Mathematics Education Center

Executive Corner

These are exciting and challenging times to be entering a career as a science or mathematics teacher. The need is very great and will only increase in the years ahead. The Science and Mathematics Education Center, founded in the summer of 2000, has been instrumental in helping a great number of students achieve their goal of becoming a successful science or mathematics teacher whether from the traditional route or as a career changer. SMEC has been successful in securing a significant number of external grants over the years that has allowed us to provide excellent and much needed support for future science and mathematics teachers, whether at Fresno State or at one of our partnering community colleges. SMEC has offered and will continue to provide an array of high quality professional development programs for inservice science and mathematics teachers throughout the Central Valley. We are particularly proud of Robert Noyce Scholars program, the first and largest in California with over 85 Noyce Scholars and Noyce Teachers in our community. We are also very proud of having been able to send (with US Dept of Energy and National Science Foundation funding) many of our students to 8-10 week-long research internships at one of the Department of Energy Labs throughout the United States. SMEC has the largest contingent of students in the nation to have been part of the outstanding U.S.Department of Energy Pre-Service Teacher (PST) program where they worked hand-in-hand with world class scientists to gain a depth of understanding of scientific research, so important for future teachers of science. We are also proud partners of the new Science Teacher and Researcher (STAR) program based at CalPoly. As you browse our new and growing Web Page, you will see the range of activities and programs we are involved in. We invite you to stop by and say hello (Science I, Room 100) or email any of our staff. Finally, let me say that we are very proud to have had the involvement a cross-campus faculty who have been key to any and all successes to date. Without these dedicated professionals, much of what has been accomplished would have been impossible.

Thank you.

David M. Andrews, Executive Director

Science and Mathematics Education Center

College of Science and Mathematics