University of Phoenix College of General Studies Associate Dean Jacquelyn Kelly Presents at Arizona 2024 STEM & Innovation Summit

Dr. Kelly joins with industry leaders to lead sessions on strategies to foster scientific inquiry and critical thinking in students

University of Phoenix announces that College of General Studies Associate Dean Jacquelyn Kelly, Ph.D, co-presented two sessions with industry leaders Frederick Tack, PE, Consor Engineering, and Hunter Moore, CEO, Cazador Consulting, at the 2024 Arizona STEM & Innovation Summit hosted by SciTech Institute and Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, AZ, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. The Summit assembles Arizona's STEM ecosystem, bringing together educators, community members, industry leaders and collaborators and features keynotes, workshops, and panel discussion in track options including educational professional development, sustainable innovation, computer science and data, broadband, health sciences, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing.

"Teachers and their students can benefit from a host of resources and tools that build aptitude and curiosity in scientific thinking and literacy," shares Kelly. "The Summit provides that and so much more in an engaging, hands-on environment. We're excited to share with teachers some strategies that foster scientific literacy as well as how to empower students in using AI for scientific inquiry."

Kelly and Tack co-presented an educational professional development track session titled, "Empowering Students to Use AI for Scientific Inquiry: 5 Critical Thinking Skills for Middle and High School Classrooms." Kelly and Moore co-presented another educational professional development track session titled, "Navigating Science and Political Rhetoric: Strategies for Teachers to Foster Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking in Students."

Tack and Moore both serve on the College of General Studies' Industry Advisory Council, Environmental Sciences division, which meets several times a year to focus on industry trends, new challenges facing employers, and a variety of topics relevant to the College and its students.

As an Associate Dean at University of Phoenix in the College of General Studies, Kelly has more than 15 years of experience in science and math education, with expertise in translating science and math education research into practice at institutions of higher education. Kelly has dedicated her work to scaling and sustaining research-based practice in math, science and engineering education. She has been principal investigator and co-principal investigator of multiple federal grant projects to develop science education support for rural area K-12 teachers and to develop student government science officer roles in middle and high schools. Her previous positions include secondary and postsecondary science teaching, teacher evaluator for the county education service agency, and program director for professional development programs for science and math educators. Kelly earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Science Education from Arizona State University. Her master's degree is in Materials Science and Engineering from Arizona State University. Her undergraduate degree is in Physics and Chemistry from California State University, San Marcos.

Learn more here about the STEM & Innovation Summit.

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