ESA/STEM PEOPLE

 

Dr. Nathan Averbeck

Title III Coordinator of Math Success

 

Degrees/educational institutions:

PhD math (Baylor), MA math (Eastern Illinois), BS math (Cedarville)

 

Previous relevant experience:

Over the past decade, I have taught many math classes in the traditional format, and prior to that, I spent much of my time tutoring.  Recently, I have taught college algebra with ALEKS, which is a computer program that assesses the individual needs of students, customizes their immediate learning objectives, and re-assesses their knowledge as they progress–in other words, ALEKS shows students what they know and helps them know what to work on next.  I have also recently taught classes in which students explain homework problems to the rest of the class or engage in in-class activities (such as electing a class president or fairly dividing a pile of candy).

 

What are you most looking forward to in your new Title III role?  

I am most looking forward to getting to know the peer tutors and equipping them as they seek to aid their fellow students.  I will be on the lookout to recruit tutors who enjoy the material, communicate clearly, and have a heart for serving, and I will be anxious to help them develop in any way I can.

 

 What can students hope to gain from improvements made by Title III in the area you coordinate?   

First, we will be taking a long look at what current research says about how students learn math best and putting those findings into practice.  With these findings in mind, we will be developing a tutor-training program and incorporating active-learning strategies in foundational math classes.  (We intend for students in these classes to be fully engaged in the process, not just learning by listening.)  Finally, we will be doing some remodeling on campus to create an active-learning classroom and to give math students a place to collaborate.

 

 

Dr. Lavanya Mandava

Title III Coordinator of Cybersecurity

 

Degrees/educational institutions:

MS, Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

PhD, Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

 

Previous relevant experience:

I have diverse research experiences that have spanned many different fields, including system security. Specifically, my work focused on the security issues of data storage and reliability methodologies for the security of complex systems.

 

What are you most looking forward to in your new Title III role?

I am looking forward to developing a strong curriculum for the cybersecurity program  and for the enhancement of the computer science department. I’m eager to  teach and train students to become computer science and/or cybersecurity professionals.

 

What can students hope to gain from improvements made by Title III in the area you coordinate?

Qualified cybersecurity professionals are currently in extremely high demand, and that demand is expected to rise in the future.