A new initiative at UW–Madison will take an innovative approach to scientific training for graduate students by providing opportunities to incorporate long-term community engagement projects into their scientific areas of interest.
The Wisconsin Institute for Science Education and Community Engagement (WISCIENCE), part of the Collaborative for Advancing Learning and Teaching, has been awarded nearly $500,000 by the National Science Foundation’s Innovations in Graduate Education program. The program encourages institutions to develop bold, transformative approaches to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduate education.
Anna Courtier, WISCIENCE director of service learning, and Jessica TeSlaa, assistant faculty associate with WISCIENCE, will collaborate with campus and community partners to launch the Public Service Graduate Fellows program.
“The focus of this new program on public outreach, service, and the Wisconsin Idea is a welcome addition to the Collaborative’s portfolio of graduate student professional development programs, which currently focus primarily on teaching and mentoring at the university,” said Steve Cramer, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning.