MCLA Names Jorge Professor of Education
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Dr. Nick Stroud, associate professor of technology and science education, recently was appointed to the Evelyn H. and Arlindo Jorge Professorship in Education at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
MCLA President James F. Birge said Stroud was nominated to the chair due to his expertise and influence as an educator of science educators, and the promise of his future contributions to the field, and to the local community.
"The achievements and contributions Dr. Stroud has made, and will continue to make, more than support his appointment to the Jorge chair," Birge said. "I look forward to his continued leadership and scholarship as our Jorge professor."
Stroud said he is deeply honored and humbled by the appointment, and expressed his gratitude to the Jorge family for their ongoing support of education.
Based on his work as a principal investigator for the National Science Foundation-funded "Teaching to Learn" project and his role as a Massachusetts Science Ambassador, Stroud plans to continue to push for systemic change in science education, in grades pre-K through 16.
"In particular, I aim to support and encourage excellent science education in local public schools, positively impact the science learning experiences of undergraduates, and foster a love of science in current and future teachers," Stroud said. "In this way I hope to help create a virtuous cycle of positive change and efforts in local science education."
Stroud also is a member of the Berkshire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Pipeline Network's Steering Committee, the Massachusetts Advisory Group on the "Next Generation Science Standards," and the Global Education Review’s Board of Reviewers. In addition, he is the principal investigator for "NASA, Bringing the Universe to America's Classrooms" and a member of the WGBH Advisory Board.
His many membership associations include serving as an advisory council member for the 21st Century Learning grant for BART Charter School, an advisory council member of the National Science Foundation's "Using the Flipped Classroom to Address Equity in Physics Achievement," and an advisory board member for the "Address Equity in Physics Achievement, WestEd, WGBH, and MIT."
In addition, Stroud’s teaching and research were recognized by his colleagues at MCLA in 2013, when he was recognized with both a Faculty Association Junior Faculty Teaching Award and a Faculty Incentive Award.
Stroud is a graduate of Columbia University’s Teacher’s College in New York, N.Y., where he earned his Ph.D. in science education. He received a Master of Arts degree in astrophysics from the State University of New York-Stony Brook, in Stony Brook, N.Y., and his Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy-physics and physics from the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, Wisconsin.
Arlindo Jorge established The Evelyn H. and Arlindo Jorge Professorship in Education, the first endowed chair in the MCLA’s history. Jorge, an eminent electrical engineer, donated the fund in honor of his late wife, who graduated from the college in 1944 and dedicated her life to education. The fund allows MCLA to bring scholars of exceptional merit to campus, making MCLA an important destination for world-leading educational scholars.
Tags: MCLA, STEM,
