Saint Vincent College's involvement in the Math and Science Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania (MSP-SWPA) was the subject of four presentations given at the recent national meeting in Anchorage, Alaska of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Dr. John Smetanka, assistant professor of physics, gave an overview of the MSP-SWPA and its professional development programs to improve math and science achievement at all levels of instruction.  The second presentation, also given by Dr. Smetanka, and co-authored with Br. Norman Hipps, O.S.B., senior vice president and dean of the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computing,  focused specifically on the revision of undergraduate science courses in physics conducted as part of the MSP-SWPA.  In particular, lessons developed with Sue Malarik, MSP Teacher Fellow from Derry High School, and Steven Manges, MSP Teacher Fellow from Gateway High School, were shared with the attendees.  The third presentation was given by Ms. Malarik on her experience as a Teacher Fellow at Saint Vincent College during the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 semesters pointing out the impacts her work had on her high school students and the students at Saint Vincent.  The final talk in the series was delivered by Dr. Ted Zaleskiewcz, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg professor of physics, on the content deepening seminars developed for K-12 science and mathematics teachers involved in the MSP-SWPA.  Dr. Zaleskiewcz demonstrated hand-on, inquiry-based activities from his Nuclear Fission and Fusion workshop.
 
In addition to these talks on the MSP-SWPA, Dr. Smetanka also presented an invited talk entitled, "Student Projects Evaluating Emerging Technologies as Solutions for Environmental Problems." This talk highlighted project assignments in science courses targeted for non-science majors that ask students to investigate emerging technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, wind generated electricity, nanotechnology and quantum computing.  Examples of student work and measures of student achievement and attitudes toward science with and without these projects in the courses such as Our Dynamic Planet and Introduction to Physics were shared with the audience of fellow physics teachers.
 
Pictured in the photo are Dr. Smetanka, right, Ms. Malarik and Dr. Zaleskiewcz.