Project Aims to Steer Women to Science, Math and Engineering

CONTACT: Lia Unrau

PHONE: (713) 831-4793


E-mail: unrau@rice.edu

PROJECT TO STEER WOMEN TO SCIENCES, MATH, ENGINEERING

A soon-to-be-launched Rice outreach program called “Project Advance”¹ aims to help rectify a national
problem — the shortage of women in the science, mathematics and engineering
professions.

Three members of the Rice community — Nanda Kirkpatrick, Anne
Papakonstantinou and Fred Rudolph — are the recent recipients of an $882,000
National Science Foundation grant which will fund a three-year program designed
to cultivate a gender-equitable climate in K-12 classrooms, improve the quality
of science and mathematics instruction, and provide mentors for female secondary
school students.

The program, which starts in October, targets secondary math and science
teachers and all elementary teachers at 44 campuses of the Central and Southwest
districts of HISD.

Kirkpatrick, the primary author of the grant proposal, will co-direct the
project with Papakonstantinou. Kirkpatrick and Papakonstantinou bring to the
project their respective skills in science education and mathematics education.
As the principal investigator of the grant, Rudolph will oversee the
coordination of the various Project Advance¹
programs.

Kirkpatrick is currently project coordinator of the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute Biological Sciences Initiatives, an outreach program directed by
Rudolph, who is professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Cell
Biology.

Papakonstantinou is a clinical professor of education and the executive
director of the Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP), which, under
the guidance of founder and director Ronny Wells, has become a major player in
the mathematics training of K-12 teachers in Houston and throughout Texas.

Kirkpatrick sees the combining of the expertise of individuals from the two
departments as “a positive step in improving Rice University’s ability to affect
change and contribute significantly to our K-12 educational outreach efforts.”

Kirkpatrick says that the mentor program will be one of Project
Advance’s¹ key components. She says: “Basically, we
want to provide [young women] with role models so they can see that women do
play an important role in science and engineering.”

Some mentors will be provided by the American Association for University
Women and the Association for Women in Science. Project Advance¹ will also be recruiting mentors from research institutes,
medical schools, hospitals and student organizations at Rice.

According to Kirkpatrick, another major focus of the project will be “top-level teacher training in math and science, which will benefit both girls
and boys.”

For example, some elementary teachers will attend a three-week summer
institute where they will learn research-based teaching strategies. Hands-on
instruction at the institute will include laboratory experiments and field
studies. The teachers will be provided with materials which integrate science
process and mathematics skills and will learn to develop lesson plans
integrating the two disciplines. Kirkpatrick and Papakonstantinou have
previously coordinated summer science and mathematics workshops, respectively.

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¹.
PROJECT ADVANCE is a registered trademark of Syracuse University. William Marsh
Rice University no longer uses the name ‘ Project Advance ‘ and is not in any
way affiliated with Syracuse University or PROJECT ADVANCE. Any references in
this document to Project Advance at Rice University are historical in nature and
are not intended to convey that there is a relationship between Rice University
and Syracuse University or PROJECT ADVANCE .