Working as a waitress at a diner gives Jeanette Bova many opportunities to interact with the public, but she’d like to be serving up learning, not breakfast. A lifetime spent devouring books led her to believe that she might just have what it takes to be a teacher, so she found her way to University College. “Academia has really evolved into a more satisfying learning process since the days I had to go to school,” she says. For now, waitressing pays the bills, but her ultimate goal is to “attain a more satisfying career—preferably one where I couldn’t care less about how you want your eggs,” she quips. Continue Reading
Karima Akins and her family at UC’s Commencement Celebration 2017
When Karima Akins finished kindergarten at a Syracuse elementary school, she was bursting with confidence and a love of learning. But first grade in a new school district almost broke her spirit. She began to struggle academically, and when her parents insisted she be tested for learning disabilities, some significant issues were identified. “The day I found out I had a learning disability it felt like the world crushed me into pieces,” she recalls. Continue Reading
As a young widow with six children, Elaine Sartwell found it necessary to “recreate” the future she had envisioned before her husband died. “I had always wanted to go to school, but let that dream fall by the wayside as I raised my children,” Sartwell says. Years later, after working in the human services field, Sartwell says she felt “trapped at the front line without a qualifying degree to apply for higher positions.” So she enrolled at community college, earned an impressive GPA, and was invited to transfer to Syracuse University. “I wasn’t sure if SU was out of my league, but was delighted to find out I was accepted into the Social Work program with an Achiever Scholarship from University College.” Continue Reading
Jessica Whisher-Hehl G’09 knows that being surrounded by educators at home and at school ignited her desire to study science and engineering. Her father was a guidance counselor at Saranac Lake High School and her mother was an elementary teacher in the same district.
“My mom really instilled in me the importance of learning,” says Whisher-Hehl. “She sat down with me each night and did her school work as a teacher while I did my homework.” Whisher-Hehl says she didn’t have just one favorite teacher in school because all of her teachers were passionate about the subject matter they taught.
Jessica Whisher-Hehl, left, with students in the Science Horizons program
Whisher-Hehl, who lives in Manlius, received an undergraduate degree from Clarkson University in civil engineering with a minor in environmental engineering. She worked as an engineer for a local environmental consulting company, but decided to leave that job and pursue an advanced degree in engineering.
“I received an NSF Fellowship in which I was required to work with science teachers at Fowler High School to implement real-life environmental issues into their existing science curriculum,” says Whisher-Hehl. While working at Fowler she realized her passion for teaching and decided to pursue a master’s degree in science education instead of engineering. Whisher-Hehl completed her master’s degree at Syracuse University in July 2014.
Now a Ph.D. student in science education at the University, Whisher-Hehl says that she felt well supported through both her master’s and Ph.D. efforts. “As a Ph.D. student, I value the faculty I collaborate with who not only work on their own research projects, but have the time to support, inspire and help me improve my own knowledge and abilities,” she says.
This summer, Whisher-Hehl had the opportunity to share her passion for science with 40 middle school students from around Onondaga County through the 22nd annual Science Horizons Program. The weeklong science adventure, which ran July 7 -11, is fully funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and administered through University College of Syracuse University.
Whisher-Hehl says the program was enhanced by the number of Syracuse University graduate students, professors and staff members who volunteered their time to allow the middle-school students to experience a variety of science and engineering disciplines in a hands-on manner.
While the middle-school students explored the fields of engineering, chemistry, biology and the environment, Whisher-Hehl says she learned a lot herself, especially during the field trip to Bristol-Myers Squibb. “I learned the science behind biologics,” she says. “It’s inspiring to see these professional scientists and engineers from Syracuse University, SUNY-ESF and Bristol-Myers volunteer their time to share the knowledge and excitement about science with their students.”
Whisher-Hehl appreciates the opportunity that Bristol-Myers Squibb has given middle-school students for the past 22 years by fully funding the science camp. “They’ve given students exposure to authentic science and engineering disciplines,” says Whisher-Hehl. The students visited real laboratories and participated in hands-on authentic tests and investigations. They had the opportunity to talk to various professionals about their own backgrounds and heard actual scientists and engineers explain about their jobs and how they achieved their goals.
Whisher-Hehl says that the framework for the Next Generation Science Standards is firmly grounded in a “science for all” approach.
“We need to develop a citizenship that understands what science is and can engage in evidence-based reasoning,” she says. “So much of our world now is science based—global climate change, personal nutrition and health decisions, and community issues such as the Onondaga Lake cleanup project. We look at science as a career, but science is around us all the time, and all of us should all have some level of science literacy.”
The Science Horizons program gives students the authentic experience that helps them see and better understand the science in their life as well the cutting-edge science and engineering that is prevalent locally.
Nancy Rothschild, associate dean of admissions and Geraldine de Berly, senior associate dean of University College participated in the fifth annual EducationUSA Forum in Washington, D.C., in June on behalf of Syracuse University. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the EducationUSA Forum brought together 550 university representatives with over 60 EducationUSA regional educational experts and advisers from around the world to discuss strategies for helping international students to study in the United States and promoting U.S. Study abroad.
The EducationUSA Forum offers practical information and strategies to help internationalize U.S. campuses. Workshop sessions, led by international education experts, U.S. higher education representatives, and government officials presented unique and valuable information on recruiting international students and supporting diversity in international education.
