Slesnick Symposium - 2026
Keynote by Dr. Zakiya S Wilson-Kennedy
"Transforming Gateway STEM Courses: From Weed-Out Structures to Impactful Learning Ecosystems”
Zakiya S Wilson-Kennedy, PhD
Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy, Ph.D., is the Ron and Dr. Mary Neal Distinguished Associate Professor of Chemistry Education and the Associate Dean for Academic Innovation and Engagement within the College of Science at Louisiana State University (LSU). Formerly, she has held faculty, administrative, and professional positions at the University of Delaware, Louisiana State University, and North Carolina A&T State University. Her research investigates the persistence of individuals from all backgrounds in STEM higher education and careers. With extramural support of over $34 million from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Education, and philanthropic agencies, she has designed and implemented over 40 education projects, which have employed mentoring models that integrate identity theory and empowerment theory to create and test development structures that cultivate self-efficacy and agency. The long-term goal of this work is to advance knowledge of how to support student success in STEM and foster opportunities for others to share their work in this area. She was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2021, a fellow of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) in 2023, and a fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 2024. She was also appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Board on Higher Education and Workforce (BHEW) between 2023 and 2025. She served as the PI of the 2014 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) organizational recognition for the LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Jackson State University and her doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Louisiana State University.
Schedule of Events
8:30–9:00 a.m. — Coffee & Pastries
Start the day with light refreshments
Location: Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Resource Center (Science Lecture 220)
9:00–10:20 a.m. — Workshop
Designing for Belonging: Instructional and Mentoring Moves for Impactful STEM Teaching
Facilitated by Dr. Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy
Location: Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Resource Center (Science Lecture 220)
10:30–11:20 a.m. — Workshop
Every Pattern Tells a Story: Mathematics and Learning Beyond the Status Quo
Facilitated by Matteo Tamburini and Kayshish Pichette-Cline
Location: To be announced
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Student Panel
Location: Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Resource Center (Science Lecture 220)
12:30–1:20 p.m. — Lunch
Location: Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Resource Center (Science Lecture 220)
1:30–3:00 p.m. — Faculty Talks
| Time | Room | Title | Presenters |
| 1:30-2:00 pm | Room 210 | Improving STEM Course Evaluations: Students' Experiences of Effective Teaching Can Guide Faculty Learning | Dustin Van Orman |
| 1:30-2:00 pm | Room 230 | Restoring and Restor(y)ing with Ethnomathematics | Saraswati Noel |
| 2:00-2:30 pm | Room 230 | Supporting Teamwork as Practice: Design and Student Thinking
| Thanh Le , Andie Alesandrini, Vivian Tang & Chloe Boucher |
| 2:30-3:00 pm | Room 230 | Factors that Influence Undergraduate Students' Experiences of Equitable, Student-centered STEM Teaching, Learning, and Assessment | Dustin Van Orman & Dan Hanley |
| 2:30-3:00 pm | Room 210 | Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Ways to Apply BETTER in STEM Principles: One Bite at a Time | Caroline Hardin |
3:00–3:50 p.m. — Break
4:00–5:00 p.m. — Keynote Address
Transforming Gateway STEM Courses: From Weed-Out Structures to Impactful Learning Ecosystems
Presented by Dr. Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy
Location: Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Resource Center (Science Lecture 220)
5:00–6:00 p.m. — Reception
Location: Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Resource Center (Science Lecture 220)
Matteo Tamburini
Special Guest and workshop facilitator.
Matteo Tamburini (MS, Mathematics, WWU 2009) is a husband, father of two, and a Treinel of Capoeira Angola. He has been teaching Mathematics and learning about (de-)colonization at Northwest Indian College since 2009.
He coauthored a chapter in NCTM's 2018 Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education about NWIC's evolving approach to teaching Mathematics, and has recently presented at the Northwest Mathematics Conference and the National Indian Education Association conference. The research behind this talk was funded by NSF (Award #2416024).
Kayshish Pichette-Cline
Kayshish Pichette-Cline is an enrolled member of the Lummi Nation and a mother of two elementary-aged girls. She is currently a student at Western Washington University and plans to pursue a Masters in Mathematics Education.
About the Symposium
STEM EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
The late Dr. Slesnick retired in 1996 after a 33-year career on Western's College of Sciences and Technology biology faculty. During his 33 years in the biology department, he profoundly impacted thousands of students and future science teachers. His vision and tireless advocacy for improving science education played a critical role in gaining approval for constructing the Science Education Building and influenced its unique design. Slesnick was instrumental in the establishment of the current SMATE program housed in the building that continues the work he started. The annual Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Symposium is a tribute to his memory.
Past Symposia
The Irwin L. Slesnick STEM Education Symposium was begun in 2014. Each year's speakers and workshops have been recorded and are available on the Past Symposia page.