Spring Welcome

Spring in the Pacific Northwest brings longer days, brighter skies, and a renewed sense of momentum across campus and in our partner schools. At SMATE, our days are filled with interdisciplinary collaboration, meaningful connections with our students, K-12 visits to the Learning Resource Center, and the many partnerships that make our work possible.

This season highlights the energy that comes from learning together, whether through teacher preparation, research, or community engagement. Take a few moments, enjoy the sunshine when it appears, and read about what has been happening across the SMATE community this spring!    

What’s Inside:

• Message from SMATE’s Director: Emily Borda                                   
• Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Lauren Dudley      
• Teacher Leadership in Action: OpenSciEd Growth Through SEEK Partnerships               
• Supporting Local Classrooms: Cybersecurity Education in Whatcom Schools    
• SMATE Program Update: Strengthening Pathways to Become a Secondary Teacher    

Message from SMATE’s Director: Emily Borda

I hope spring break brought some well-deserved relaxation and catch-up time for you all. Spring tends to bring a sense of renewal for me, which makes me feel grateful about how many folks in our K-12 community and in SMATE are invested in thinking creatively and collaboratively about improving STEM education for all. Even in the increasingly limited budget climate we are all experiencing, being a part of a community with this collective commitment brings me hope. Thank you for all the challenging and important work that you do every day!

With gratitude,

Emily

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Lauren Dudley

SMATE is pleased to highlight the work of Dr. Lauren Dudley, whose recent scholarship examines how students experience success in post-secondary chemistry courses. Her research explores how both instructors and students define success beyond traditional measures such as grades, emphasizing the importance of confidence, persistence, and the development of STEM identity as key components of student achievement.

Across her recent publications, Dr. Dudley’s work highlights how students’ conceptual understanding and their confidence are deeply connected. Drawing on interviews with successful students, she identifies factors that support meaningful learning in chemistry, including opportunities for deeper explanation, the use of visualizations to support conceptual understanding, and classroom environments that promote student independence and engagement. Complementing this work, a second recent study examines how unresolved foundational misconceptions may impact student confidence in organic chemistry, suggesting that addressing conceptual gaps early can play an important role in supporting persistence in STEM pathways. Together, these studies contribute to broader conversations about how learning environments can be structured to better support diverse learners. This work reinforces the importance of building strong conceptual foundations and providing opportunities for students to develop both competence and confidence in STEM, not only in college, but in secondary and elementary classrooms as well.

At SMATE, Dr. Dudley brings these insights directly into her work preparing future elementary teachers. Through her methods courses and partnerships with local schools, she has helped lead the integration of OpenSciEd instructional materials into practicum experiences. In these settings, preservice teachers engage with the curriculum both as learners and as instructors, analyzing lesson design, planning instruction, and facilitating investigations in their field placements.

This work provides teacher candidates with opportunities to engage with research-based curriculum while developing the instructional practices needed to facilitate 3-dimensional science learning. By connecting scholarship on student success with authentic teaching experiences, Dr. Dudley’s work helps ensure that SMATE graduates enter the profession prepared to support rigorous and meaningful science learning from the beginning of their careers.

To learn more about Dr. Dudley’s research on student success in chemistry and her recent publications, visit the SMATE News page highlighting her work as well as her latest article in the Journal of Chemical Education.

Teacher Leadership in Action: OpenSciEd Growth Through SEEK Partnerships

Through SMATE’s Science Education for Equity in K-6 (SEEK) grant, teacher leaders across Northwest Washington are helping strengthen equitable, NGSS-aligned science instruction in their schools. SEEK focuses on building teacher leadership and school–university partnerships so educators can lead meaningful improvements in elementary science teaching while collaborating with SMATE faculty.

Two of these teacher leaders, Anna Malpica and Paige Petersen of Nooksack Elementary, have been helping lead the exploration and implementation of elementary OpenSciEd curriculum as part of their work as SEEK Science Leads. Their experiences highlight how teacher leadership can influence both classroom practice and broader school improvement.

Their journey began when Nooksack School District leadership encouraged elementary teachers to explore OpenSciEd after hearing about its success at the middle school level. “(Our district lead) was hoping some teachers would be willing to take this on and see if we felt as excited about OSE as the middle school did,” the SEEK teacher leaders explained. Malpica and Petersen’s response was immediate and enthusiastic: “She was right! From the very beginning… we found the curriculum to be extremely engaging, student-interest directed, phenomenon-based, standards-connected, trustworthy and top quality.”

As SEEK Science Leads, Malpica and Petersen not only field-tested units but also worked to build staff understanding of the instructional shifts required for NGSS-aligned science. “After our first unit, we were already excited to share with our colleagues. While we were not beginning to discuss district adoption at that time, we just couldn't wait to share! So, our principal gifted us with professional development time at the August retreat with FULL staff to experience OSE lessons. The staff absolutely LOVED getting to be students and learn together. As with the OSE trainings, we found that giving staff the space to experience lessons is a great way to learn about the shifts in learning science. If others were interested in introducing OSE to the building or district, we would definitely recommend giving them the opportunity to experience lessons as a starting place. We found there needed to be a shift in understanding among educators as to how science is taught before they can implement OSE the way it is intended.” 

Over the past two years, Malpica and Petersen  have continued building momentum by inviting colleagues to participate in model lessons and introducing Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts through shared experiences. The result has been growing interest across the building. Simply put, they say, “At this point, teachers are asking for more.”

Student response has been equally encouraging. Teachers working with Malpica and Petersen report that “students are excited and asking to do science every day,” and that students are developing stronger critical thinking skills as they learn that science involves reasoning and multiple approaches rather than simply finding the correct answer.

Family engagement has also been strong. During classroom visits connected to a school board presentation, parents observed lessons and noted how engaged students were and how effectively they communicated their thinking. Teachers shared that families noticed students using “impressive vocabulary” and explaining ideas through “words, models and actions.”

Malpica and Petersen’s long-term vision reflects the same goals that guide SEEK: equitable access to high-quality science learning beginning in the earliest grades. They shared their hope to see “the effects of consistent science curriculum starting in kindergarten in the ways students process science in middle school and beyond.”

Stories like this demonstrate how SEEK Science Leads are helping bridge SMATE partnerships with classroom practice, supporting teachers, strengthening science instruction, and ultimately expanding opportunities for students to see themselves as capable participants in science.

*Thank you to Anna Malpica and Paige Petersen, SEEK Science Leads, Nooksack Elementary for sharing thoughts about OpenSciEd and participating with SMATE's SEEK grant.

For more information about PD support for OpenSciEd, contact your Regional Science Coordinator: Brian MacNevin at NWESD

For OpenSciEd material support, visit: Science Material Center at NWESD

Supporting Local Classrooms: Cybersecurity Education in Whatcom Schools

Western Washington University's Dr. Hanxiang Du and Cyber Range Academic Liaison Angela Henderson are bringing hands-on cybersecurity education from the university classroom into regional public schools through SCED 205 Introduction to Computing Education, a course that prepares future educators to teach computer science and cybersecurity concepts using systems thinking and accessible, “unplugged” learning strategies. In partnership with Whatcom Middle School's STEM teacher Kristen Schlegel, SCED 205 is strengthening connections between university coursework and local middle school STEM learning.

This year, SCED 205 includes 10 students who are learning how to design and facilitate computer science learning experiences for K-12 audiences. In a recent outreach visit to Whatcom Middle School, the class led interactive cybersecurity activities with Schlegel's three classrooms, two 8th-grade classes and one 7th-grade class. The lessons blended systems awareness with foundational cybersecurity concepts, using unplugged activities that introduce students to digital safety and problem-solving without requiring computers.

The middle school students responded with enthusiasm, and the university students reported feeling energized and motivated by the experience of teaching in real classrooms.

This outreach work also extends beyond local schools. This winter, WWU Cybersecurity Education Outreach students, including SCED 205 and senior capstone students, helped launch a new youth cybersecurity program at BSides Seattle 2026, Washington’s largest community cybersecurity conference. There, WWU students facilitated hands-on learning stations for elementary through high school students focused on systems thinking, communication, and real-world cybersecurity problem solving. The experience further strengthened students’ teaching, leadership, and communication skills while expanding access to cybersecurity learning for younger audiences.

By building connections between the university and local schools, Dr. Du’s work demonstrates how SMATE partnerships can expand access to emerging STEM topics while strengthening teacher preparation and community engagement.

For more information about dually appointed Dr. Hanxiang Du (Department of Computer Science and the SMATE Program), please visit Dr. Hanxiang Du's website.

SMATE Program Update: Strengthening Pathways to Become a Secondary Science Teacher

Fall 2026 marks an exciting transition in how SMATE supports students preparing to teach science at the secondary level.

Historically, students pursuing certification as high school science teachers followed a pathway that required coordinating coursework across multiple departments before entering the teacher preparation program. While this approach produced strong educators, it could also create complexity in advising and extend the time required to complete the degree.

SMATE is now taking on a larger role in coordinating the Secondary Science BAE pathway, creating a clearer and more cohesive structure for students pursuing science teaching careers. By housing key advising and program coordination within SMATE, students receive more consistent guidance as they move through content coursework, methods classes, and practicum experiences.

This change allows students to move more efficiently toward certification while maintaining the strong disciplinary preparation that secondary science teaching requires. The revised pathway also strengthens collaboration between SMATE faculty, science departments, and Woodring College of Education.The result is a streamlined pathway designed to prepare high-quality secondary science educators while reducing time to degree. 

On April 15th, SMATE will host a Secondary Science BAE Open House for interested students. A few practicing teachers and a recent Masters in Teaching graduate from WWU will be in attendance.

Save the date for the Upcoming WSTA Conference on Science Education in Bellingham Fall 2026!

Join us at our Annual Slesnick Symposium

Closing Notes

As the academic year moves toward its final stretch, we are grateful for the partnerships, scholarship, and dedication that continue to shape SMATE’s work. Whether through faculty research, collaborations with local schools, or innovations in teacher preparation, each effort contributes to stronger STEM learning opportunities for students across our region.

Consider joining us at one of our upcoming events (details above), the Secondary Science BAE Open House or the Annual Slesnick Symposium!

Thank you for being part of the SMATE community. We look forward to continuing this work together and sharing more updates in the coming months.

Warmly,

Whitney Morrison
Facilities, Collections and Technology Manager | Senior Instructor
SMATE | Western Washington University | College of Science & Engineering