The Weekly Recap
News And Updates From Across BU Wheelock SPACE This Week
Welcome to this week’s recap! This week we share recent community events and faculty engagement updates, highlight news mentions and recently published research, and provide details on upcoming events you won’t want to miss.
Out and About
Educational Partnerships in STEM. Cara Mattaliano (Asst. Director, SPACE) and BU Wheelock professors Greg Benoit (Lecturer, Math Education) and Eli Tucker-Raymond (Research Asst. Professor) met with members of the science team at the Dearborn STEM Academy, including Sam Baker (STEM instructional coach), Sam Chen (Math instructional coach), and Corey Allen (Director of Industry Partnerships, Boston Plan for Excellence) on May 1 to discuss potential opportunities for partnerships with Dearborn STEM’s pathways.Â
Education Showcase. EdVestors held their annual Education Showcase on May 7 in Boston. Cara Mattaliano (Asst. Director, SPACE) attended, learned about creative on-the-ground solutions happening in schools, and explored key issues in education.
Early College Preparation. Roxbury Community College (RCC) held their Early College Incubator event on May 9 in Boston, led by Gretta Schaaf (Dual Enrollment Curriculum Specialist, Boston Public Schools [BPS]), Marsha Inniss-Mitchell (Exec. Director, Postsecondary Initiatives, BPS), and Loretta Minor (Associate Dean, RCC). Mary Churchill (Associate Dean, SPACE) and Cara Mattaliano (Asst. Director, SPACE) joined to celebrate high schoolers from Boston International Newcomers Academy (BINcA), Margarita Muniz Academy, and The English High School.
Faculty Engagement
Education Reflections. BU Wheelock Dean David Chard held his final Conversations with the Dean, focusing on End of Term: Reflections from the Dean in a casual, discussion-style webinar, where Dean Chard engaged in an interview about his experiences as dean conducted by Mary Churchill (Associate Dean, SPACE) on May 9.
In the News
More Public Colleges Admit High Schoolers Even Before They’ve Applied, Boston Herald, (SPACE Assoc. Dean Mary Churchill quoted), May 1, 2024.Â
Why So Many Gen Zers Are Struggling to Find a Connection to Work, School, and a Sense of Purpose, Business Insider, (Research Professor Jon Zaff quoted), May 6, 2024.
Research that Matters
Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology. The Relationship Between T7-Fz Alpha Coherence and Peak Performance in Self-paced Sports: A Meta-analytical Review (co-published research by doctoral student Druv Raman and Assoc. Professor Edson Filho)
This study examines whether connections between verbal and motor areas of the brain are linked to better sports performance and found that athletes tend to have less communication between these areas when they perform well, supporting the idea that athletes who can limit verbal interference are more likely to perform a sporting task successfully.
Reading Impacts. How Does Caregiver-child Conversation During a Scientific Storybook Reading Impact Children's Mindset Beliefs and Persistence? (co-published research by Professor Kathleen Corriveau)
This study looked at how talking about female scientists' challenges or successes during storybook reading with caregivers impacts preschoolers' mindset and beliefs about success and persistence. Findings showed that storybooks highlighting effort are associated with preschoolers having a growth mindset, attributing success to hard work, and having increased persistence.Â
Upcoming Events
May 20–Civics Fair. Generation Citizen's Massachusetts 2024 Statewide Civic Project Showcase, Civics Day, is a day of civic exploration where middle and high school students present their Action Civics projects to business, civic, education, and nonprofit leaders.