Saturday, October 24, 2020
UTSA Professors, Carmen Fies and Chris Packham, were presented an Eddy Award by San Antonio’s School of Science and Technology.
(May 30, 2019) -- Professors Carmen Fies and Chris Packham at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have been honored for their efforts to enhance STEM education in San Antonio schools by creating and nurturing educational partnerships in the community.
Fies, an associate professor in the UTSA College of Education and Human Development (COEHD), and Packham, an associate professor in the UTSA College of Sciences, received an Eddy award from the School of Science and Technology (SST) this month. The 2019 SST Education Awards, or Eddy awards, honor parents and community members who work with students and educators to help them achieve their goals and succeed.
"SST works to prepare our students to be successful in STEM fields of study and for the high demand, highly valued career opportunities that will follow. Nothing is more important in that effort than professional development for teachers. Professors Fies and Packham have provided teachers throughout San Antonio with amazing experiential learning in physics and astronomy. Their work makes science exciting and engaging in classrooms across our city,” said Nancy Thompson, Director of Community Outreach and Communications at School of Science and Technology.
As members of the faculty of UTSA, a top research and urban serving university, Fies and Packham have built and enhanced relationships at schools across San Antonio to encourage current and future educators to get excited about modern astronomy, a science they say serves as a gateway to STEM learning.
Nearly two years ago, Fies, Packham and faculty members at UTSA, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), and the McDonald Observatory began to collaborate on astronomy education with the San Antonio Teacher Training Astronomy Academy (SATTAA). SATTAA provides pre- and in-service teachers with content and pedagogical knowledge, technology tools, and practical resources facilitating STEM education in their classrooms as a way of inspiring students to remain in STEM education.
“We believe that the inspirational nature of astronomy and the commonly held interest by young future scientists can be used to help attract and maintain interest in STEM, for the good of all scientific and high-technology disciplines, not just astronomy,” explained Packham.
“SATTAA is one of the most exciting endeavors I am part of. The program seeks to not only build astronomy content expertise in educators, but to also reignite the passion for looking at the night sky as our window to the universe,” said Fies.
During the SATTAA, participants visit local and regional educational and STEM facilities such as the Witte Museum, McDonald Observatory and Scobee Planetarium. They explore topics such as the solar system, stars, galaxies, dark matter, exo-planets, optics and the future of astronomy. The program is funded by NASA and National Science Foundation grants awarded to Fies and Packham, respectively.
This year, SATTAA will be held from June 10 to 21.
Learn more about Carmen Fies.
Learn more about Chris Packham.
Learn more about SATTAA.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
UTSA Main Campus will serve as a designated polling station during the early voting period, today through October 30, and on Election Day, November 3.
H-E-B Student Union Ballroom (HSU 1.104)Alumni who majored in criminology & criminal justice, demography, kinesiology, nutrition & dietetics, psychology, public administration, public health, social work and sociology—you have a new UTSA college to call home. You’re invited to get to know the new college better during HCaP Happy Hour. Each happy hour starts with a brief discussion to introduce you to the work in the featured department before opening to questions, comments and your ideas.
Virtual EventWant to add Adobe programs to your course but you aren’t sure how? Stop by Adobe Office Hours for a casual conversation on how you can implement Adobe in your classroom.
VIrtual EventGamified courses increase students’ motivation and participation and allow for the capability to reinforce knowledge and skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, persistence, and creativity. In a game-based learning environment, learners are involved in a more challenging, meaningful, empowering, and deep understanding process. Get engaged with us in a playful session about game design in Blackboard Learn.
Virtual EventJoin this informative, interactive webinar with practical tips on how to plan your charitable giving now and for the future. Michael Perkins, member of the UTSA Alumni Association and the UTSA College of Business Accounting Advisory Board, is no stranger to gift planning. As managing partner and CEO of Slattery Perkins Ramirez P.C. (“SPR”) his primary areas of focus include counseling business owners, executives, and other high net worth individuals on personal financial issues, including estate planning, wealth transfer, and income tax planning techniques. Michael also practices philanthropy himself – establishing an endowed scholarship at UTSA as well as supporting numerous charitable causes throughout San Antonio.
Virtual EventUTSA Main Campus is a voting poll for Election Day on November 3.
H-E-B Student Union Ballroom (HSU 1.104The University of Texas at San Antonio Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry Showcase features undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from across the university.
VIrtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
