MARINETTE — Dr. Renee Richer, assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay Marinette campus, was one of 20 professors from across the nation selected to attend a recent fully funded residency held at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, MD. The emphasis of the seminar was to transform faculty mindsets in the direction of equity-based education. The goal was to assist faculty in developing knowledge and requisite skills to implement inclusive teaching practices.

Faculty instruction centered on making classes more inclusive, thereby improving outcomes for minority, marginalized or economically disadvantaged groups. Participants explored how students’ identities and backgrounds intersect with their experiences in Higher Ed in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics) and considers their role in creating inclusive and equitable learning environments.

“The experience has been amazing. I’ve learned so much about my own teaching and how any subtle bias may impact students. I will be implementing a range of new strategies including utilizing open access educational resources to decrease costs for students.” said Dr. Richer. “I am very excited about sharing this knowledge with my colleagues in Marinette and revising my classroom practices to enhance student learning.”