Legislators, policy-makers, STEM experts, teachers, administrators and university professors will gather for a summit Tuesday, May 17, sponsored by UALR to discuss Project STEM Starters, a research and development program aimed at developing more inquiry-based science instruction in Arkansas elementary schools. STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering Mathematics.

Dr. Alicia Cotabish and Dr. Ann Robinson are the principal investigators of the project.

Dr. John Ahlen, director of the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, will deliver the summit’s keynote at 9:30 a.m., following UALR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson’s welcome.

Other sessions will include a presentation of student achievement results, and a discussion of the results by school and college administrators, including Dr. Doug Adams, superintendent of South Conway County Schools; Dr. Michael Gealt, dean of UALR’s College of Science and Mathematics; Rhonda Smith, middle school principal of the Beebe Public Schools; and Dr. Tracy Tucker, director of curriculum and instruction of the Arkansas Department of Education.

In a featured session of the day, former Sen. Jim Argue, president of the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas, will moderate a panel discussion of legislators including: Sen. Jimmy Jeffress, chair of the Senate Education Committee, Rep. Eddie Cheatham, chair of the House Education Committee, Sen. Joyce Elliott, and Rep. Linda Tyler.

For a full schedule of the summit, visit Project STEM Starters and click on the summit agenda.