Three graduate students receive awards from international conference

Three graduate students have received scholarships to travel to a national conference on science teaching.

Sophia Jeong, Eun Jeong (EJ) Kim and David Steele, doctoral students in the department of mathematics and science education, received travel awards from the Ethics and Equity Committee of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching to attend the organization's upcoming conference. The annual event takes place April 22-25 in San Antonio, Texas.

Not only will this award allow the three students to represent their research and the University of Georgia at a renowned international conference, but it is also a chance for a large community of science educators to see the innovative research happening at UGA.

Steele said award winners will attend workshops designed to help new researchers in developing their research of under-represented groups. As a result, it's a chance for the young researchers to receive support, guidance and be exposed to other research ideas.

"Being awarded this scholarship also provides me with a platform to present my research because another requirement is to also present next year during the conference," he said. "This is crucial in helping to establish myself as a science education researcher and in giving voice to marginalized groups of people."

Jeong said ordinarily the cost to attend an international conference of this stature would be out of reach for most graduate students—making the scholarship essential. As a result, she will be able to meet with national and international faculty and researchers and learn from new, innovative presentations that will inform her dissertation. Specifically, she added, the conference gives her the ability to meet with researchers who share her research interests.

"I am looking forward to meeting experts from Columbia University, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Thomas Moore College, among many others, with whom I would like to speak about my research and their thoughts on theoretical framing as well as data-collection strategies," she added. "I will also have an opportunity to present my work at two symposium sessions, one of which I am the first author."