ORGANIZATION
Established in 1990, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is dedicated to building collegial community, enhancing teaching, and learning, and fostering teaching innovation at all levels and in all academic disciplines. The CTE offers a broad range of signature programs, tailored services, rich resource materials, and seed grants designed to enhance the teaching environment at UVA. Above all, the CTE is committed to the values of diversity, inclusion, social justice, and education. The CTE is working with the UVA HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) Leadership Team. The goal of the IE3 Initiative is to create more equitable and inclusive learning experiences in introductory STEM courses.
MENTOR
Andrew Kennedy - Assistant Director of STEM Education Initiatives
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
This internship will prepare interns for careers in any of the following:
- Academic Research and Administration
- Communication, Outreach, and Publishing
- Faculty
- Teaching (Non-Faculty)
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
This internship will provide experiences to develop and polish the following skills:
- Communication (written and/or verbal)
- Data Literacy and Fluency
- Knowledge of Sector and Networking
- Problem-solving and Analytical Thinking
- Project Management
- Teaching, Mentoring, and Training
MENTORING PLAN
The intern will receive ongoing mentorship and support from the internship sponsor, and from other members of the CTE and HHMI leadership teams that are affiliated with the projects with which they engage. By attending team meetings, the intern will have the opportunity to explore STEM education and educational development as potential career paths, and more generally, to consider the breadth of academic and professional career paths available to them. Regularly scheduled meetings with the mentor will provide opportunities for the intern to share project updates, receive feedback on progress, and learn more about various non-traditional university-related career paths.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The intern will support the respective missions of the CTE and the HHMI IE3 grant project to promote excellence in teaching and learning, and to transform introductory STEM courses to be more equitable and inclusive. Projects undertaken by the intern will focus on supporting the assessment of introductory STEM courses, which are vital to the success of the overall project. The internship will provide the intern with opportunities to develop and/or refine the following skills:
- Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams with diverse backgrounds and roles
- Collecting, collating, and analyzing data
- Communicating with diverse audiences
- Conceptualizing, planning, and executing projects By the conclusion of the internship, the intern will have honed skills and gained access to resources that will assist them in their careers inside or outside the academy.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The intern will work with the internship sponsor and other members of the CTE and HHMI leadership teams to support and/or lead projects related to:
- Creating a streamlined process for large-scale data collection of surveys and artifacts
- Developing an organizational structure for storing and sharing data with instructors
- Cleaning and analyzing quantitative survey data
- Conducting literature reviews of relevant STEM education and higher education literature and connecting the findings to practical teaching strategies that can be shared with introductory STEM instructors
- Writing assessment reports for internal and external audiences
DESIRED QUALITIES
Successful applicants will have some experience with data collection and analysis, and have a strong interest in undergraduate education. They will embrace the opportunity to work independently and in collaboration with others on various projects that support the assessment of introductory STEM courses involved in the HHMI IE3 grant project. They will be compelling, effective communicators, both in writing and in person, and have strong organizational skills.
MODE OF INTERNSHIP
Hybrid (combination of in-person and virtual work)
DURATION
Fall 2024 and Spring 2025