College of Education - Research & Outreach

I. STEM Education - Culturally Responsive Math, Science & Technology Education

COE's Culturally responsive Mathematics, Science & Technology Education research agenda is to advance knowledge in understanding how learners relate what is often abstract in school math & science to what is familiar in their own language and culture. A secondary component that supports the goals and methodologies of STEM fields is to make software technology available to classroom teachers, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the tools and to begin to develop their own computer-based learning materials.

1. The College of Education coordinates STEM education for the university. For complete list of over 50 university STEM program email kwiburg@nmsu.edu
2. Math and science education programs funded at over $2,000,000/year serve K-12 teachers and students throughout the state. Email Dr. Cathy Kinzer (cakinzer@nmsu.edu ) or Dr.Susan Brown (susanbro@nmsu.edu ) and visit http://mc2.nmsu.edu & http://sciencenm.org.
3. For exciting technology programs including use of I-pods for math, email Dr. Krista Glazeiwski (kds@nmsu.edu), Dr. David Rutledge (rutledge@nmsu.edu), or Rocio Benedicto (rojustus@nmsu.edu)
4. Contact RETA for technology-based courses and resources. (reta.nmsu.edu).

II. Early Childhood and Family Education

COE's Early Childhood and Family Education Research agenda is to increase knowledge in how key evidence of childrens' developmental processes can be used to structure excellent pedagogies and learning materials, where excellence is defined as the relationship between increased learned content and correspondingly reduced learning time and effort. This Research agenda has a distributional component, and substantial efforts are made to share increasing knowledge with the Border communities, with those on Indian reservations, and with the academic community as a whole, to improve both learning and understanding.

1. Dove Learning Center funds over $1,000,000 per year in early childhood education and preschool and family education. Email Dr. Nancy Baptiste at nbaptist@nmsu.edu
2. College of Education & Curriculum and Instruction have developed a comprehensive Children's Village supporting multiple pre-schools, day cares, school-district programs and bilingual programs. Email Dr. Betsy Cahill at bcahill@nmsu.edu
3. The mission of the Southwest Institute for Early Childhood Studies is to inform, support, and encourage effective early childhood education practices in New Mexico. With an early literacy center, online professional development support and dissemination of archived materials, the institute is building systematic and comprehensive support for research and information about the three Rs of early childhood learning (Relationships, Resilience, and Readiness). Email Dr. Candace Kaye at kaye@nmsu.edu

III. Health Psychology and Human Performance

COE's Health Psychology and Human Performance research agenda looks to improve the physical and psychological well-being of all segments of the population. This Research area includes comprehensive "programs of education" that serve the physical, psychological, and kinesthetically artistic needs of New Mexico's diverse population, very much in keeping with NMSU's mission statement.

1. For an extensive dance program for all ages contact Deb Knapp (deknapp@nmsu.edu) in the Department of Human Performance, Dance & Recreation (HPDR). For sports outreach programs contact Dr. Scott Pedersen (pedersen@nmsu.edu) or Dr. Joe Berning (jberning@nmsu.edu)in HPDR.
2. For mental health programs contact Dr. Eve Adams (eadams@nmsu.edu) in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology (CEP)

IV. Leadership and Learning for the Improvement of Border and Rural Schools

COE's SW Border Education research agenda is to assist teachers, administrators and communities in the geographical areas on the Mexican Border and on the Indian Reservations in the four cooperating states, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico, to develop skills that will ensure the quality education for all students. Our research scope includes professional development in assessment, leadership, literacy, and bilingual and multilingual education. The agenda includes a strong technology component to support the various development efforts, especially in the design and preparation of teaching and learning materials, both for face-to-face and distance classes.

1. Leadership for Border Schools. Contact Dr. Eric Lopez, Stan Fulton Chair (leric@nmsu.edu) or Dr. Maria Luisa Gonzalez at margonza@nmsu.edu of the Center for Border Indigenous Educational Leadership (CeBIEL).
2. For Bilingual Reading/ Special Education contact Dr. Ann Gallegos or Dr. Deb Rhein in the SPED/CD (drhein@nmsu.edu)
3. For information on community-based education contact the ENLACE program through Dr. Eric Lopez (leric@nmsu.edu) or Michelle Saenz (micsaenz@yahoo.com).
4. For assistance with bilingual/ELL literacy contact Dr. Herman Garcia (hgarcia@nmsu.edu) or Dr. Maria Mercado (mariamm@nmsu.edu)

As the state's land-grant university, NMSU's mission is to "[serve] the educational needs of New Mexico's diverse population through comprehensive programs of education, research, extension education, and public service." The COE's Advancement of Teaching, Learning, and School Leadership research agenda is to forward knowledge through projects and research that crosses multi-disciplinary boundaries. With this overarching goal in mind, COE has numerous university/public school collaborative research projects, evaluation support, and The Alliance for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning made up of district superintendents and additional educational, university and government partners.

COE's Education Policy & Basic Research agenda is to advance knowledge in understanding how changes in policy affect education, learners, teachers, and education communities.