story by Claire Miller
College of Education & Human Development Assistant Professors Natalie King and Lauren Margulieux have been chosen for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program.
This program offers financial support for early-career faculty “who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization,” according to NSF’s website.
King will receive $1.1 million for a five-year project entitled, “Black Girl Brilliance and STEM Identity Development,” which will allow her to continue her work with students at Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, an all-girls, STEM-certified middle and high school in Atlanta.
She’ll explore how Black girls excel in STEM learning spaces and the factors that may predict whether or not a student declares a STEM major in college.
“I hope that Black girls will be inspired and see their belongingness in the STEM disciplines,” King said. “Over the five-year project period, I hope to create a seamless integration of research and education that provides a platform for the brilliance of Black girls, their schools and their communities to be realized. This project will shed light on their cultural wealth and provide resources to support girls of color across the nation.”
Margulieux will receive $486,631 for a five-year project entitled, “Spreading Computational Literacy Equitably via Integration of Computing in Preservice Teacher Preparation.”
This project will integrate computing coursework into all teacher preparation programs at Georgia State University with the goal of preparing teachers across disciplines to be comfortable incorporating computing-integrated activities in their lessons.
“I'm most excited about this award because it recognizes the awesome work that we're doing in the College of Education & Human Development to integrate computer science into our preservice programs and spread computational literacy throughout Atlanta and Georgia,” Margulieux said. “The national attention that comes with this award also helps spread the work that we've been doing to others and help other communities.”
“Most colleges are thrilled about faculty receiving this award once in a decade. Our faculty achieved two in one year, which clearly demonstrates the quality of our young researchers,” said Paul Alberto, CEHD dean.
For more information about the NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development Program, click here.