Faculty Share Expertise in Publications, Presentations

Dr. Gina Martinez, associate professor of computer engineering and director of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Dorene Huvaere, co-director Secondary, Middle and Foreign Language Teacher Education programs and Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship – Primary Investigator, collaborated to host a workshop “Integrating Engineering Practices & Robotics and Culturally Relevant Practices in Today’s STEM classroom.”

The workshop introduced Noyce scholar participants to how engineering and robotics can be used to solve local and national issues, and how they can be used in the classroom to encourage problem-solving and creative thinking while honoring a student’s culture. Participants examined a social issue from a CRT perspective and discussed how it impacts the community in which they are teaching. Engaging in a hands-on activity, participants applied NGSS Engineering Design Standards to incorporate robotics to solve the social issue using available resources in their community.

Huma Zia, associate professor of Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies and program director of Paralegal Studies, and associate professors of social work Drs. Ellen Thursby and Michael Lloyd will be presenting Immigrant Narratives, Legal Rights, and Advocacy in September at the First Annual Social Work and Law National Symposium.

Alumna Lauren Landando (Chemistry and Secondary Education '22) worked with Teresa Bixby comparing Noyce and non-Noyce scholar student teaching evaluations for Voices for Educational Equity - August 2022.

Dr. Lili Burciaga, assistant professor of psychology, published the Trauma and Mental Health Chapter in the 2022 Mapping Your Future: A Guide to Successful Reentry in Illinois and Mapping Your Future: National Edition. These reentry guides are published in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Education Justice Project’s Reentry Guide Initiative team. Over 5,000 copies were distributed across Illinois Department of Corrections offices and correctional facilities. 

Burciaga also was appointed chair of the Membership Committee for the International Association of Resilience and Trauma Counseling. 

Lewis University is an innovative Catholic university offering market-relevant undergraduate and graduate programs to 6,400 students. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis University is nationally recognized for preparing intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, and globally-connected graduates who impact the world for the better. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.