Leah Horton has been named the Resident Master of the new STEM Residential College at the University of Central Arkansas.
Horton is currently a faculty member in the Department of Biology at UCA. She will be teaching courses in the residential college as well as guiding the programs that are currently under development.
Horton is a 1997 graduate of UCA with a bachelor of science in chemistry. She earned a master in science in biochemistry, cell and developmental biology from Emory University in 1999. She has more than two years high school science teaching experience and six years post-secondary teaching experience. Horton is also involved in science education outreach.
The STEM Residential College is the first residential college in Arkansas with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The college is directly funded by and tied to the College of Natural Science and Mathematics. STEM students will have unique opportunities within the departments of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics, including early involvement in undergraduate research that can lead to student grants, presentations, and travel, Horton said. Taking advantage of these opportunities can give STEM students a competitive edge when applying to graduate school, professional school, or when entering the job market.
“The STEM Residential College is going to grow into a premier living/learning environment for students interested in science, technology, pre-engineering, and mathematics,” Horton said about the new residential college.
The residential college is slated to open fall 2010. It will house 210 freshmen in Arkansas Hall. The hall will feature a large atrium with multiple study zones, an integrated classroom, and study rooms (Nerd Nodes) on each floor. Any student who has an interest in the sciences, technology, pre-engineering, or mathematics can apply to live in the residential college. UCA is the only public four-year institution which uses a residential college system of learning communities for first-and second-year students.
STEM students will participate in service learning projects in the public schools that will help improve STEM education.
“However, we are also planning to partner with companies and agencies so that each of our STEM residents can find a project they are passionate about – from cleaning up the environment and improving energy efficiency to designing new computer programs to enrich education and using mathematical modeling to improve transportation – the possibilities are endless,” Horton said.
Horton hopes the STEM Residential College will help entice the brightest students to stay in the state.
On a national level, people talk about the “STEM Pipeline” for producing skilled workers for the emerging knowledge-based economy, said Steve Runge, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
“Our program, which will be centered around the STEM Residential College, will try to turn the pipeline into a cycle through which science and math students at UCA will work to assist in the improvement of K-12 education and thereby recruit and retain more students in these fields,” Runge said. “We predict that our retention in STEM disciplines at UCA will be higher as well.”
