SMATE Instructor Josie Melton Receives STEM Fellowship

Josie Melton, science education instructor in SMATE (Science, Math and Technology Education) at Western Washington University, has been selected for one of 10 highly competitive annual CADRE Fellowships.

Recipients receive a one-year fellowship to work with the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE), a resource network for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education researchers supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

“I am very excited for this opportunity to connect with other CADRE fellows and receive support from the NSF community that will further my research,” Melton said.

The CADRE Fellows program, which is now in its ninth year, provides capacity-building and networking opportunities for researchers who are in the early stages of their STEM education careers. The new Fellows include graduate students and research associates who work on STEM-related projects funded by NSF’s Discovery Research in Education Program. Their projects include the development of a wide range of STEM education resources, materials, and technologies. 

Melton is a research assistant on the NSF-funded, DR K-12 project “Model of Research-Based Education (MORE) for Teachers.” MORE studies the effectiveness of different aspects of the elementary science teacher preparation program at Western Washington University.  The project is managed by PI and SMATE Project Director Dan Hanley, and Co-PIs Matt Miller, WWU professor of Elementary Education, and Chris Ohana, faculty emeritus at Western’s Woodring College of Education.

In the coming year, the new CADRE Fellows will explore potential career options, learn how to develop and submit proposals, and how to write for publication and dissemination. Their experience will culminate in a mock proposal review and discussion with NSF program directors.

“The CADRE Fellows program offers a unique opportunity for early career researchers to network with NSF-funded STEM education awardees from across the country,” said EDC’s Catherine McCulloch, who coordinates the program along with Jennifer Stiles. “It’s an honor to oversee a program that, in part, is focused on broadening participation within the research community.”

This year’s Fellows represent diverse disciplines, areas of research, and perspectives.

For the full list of the 2017-2018 CADRE Fellows, or to learn more about the program, go to www.cadrek12.org.

EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Visit www.edc.org. CADRE is a resource network funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that supports researchers and developers who participate in Discovery Research K–12 projects.

SMATE at Western is a national model for the preparation and support of K-12 teachers. WWU faculty from the disciplines of Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Elementary and Secondary Education use the latest resources and research on teaching and learning to develop innovative curriculum, courses and K-16 partnerships.