CCMS Colloquium: (Naneh Apkarian, Arizona State University, Arizona)

Speaker:  Naneh Apkarian Professor of Mathematics, Arizona State University, Arizona

Title: Student Success in an Interactive STEM Ecosystem

Abstract: This talk begins with a discussion of the multifaceted nature of “student success” in STEM, including externally recognized markers (e.g., grades) and internally defined indicators (e.g., enjoyment). Investigations of the factors which contribute to student success along various dimensions, how to improve student success, and how to implement successful interventions at scale reveal the complexities of the STEM higher education ecosystem as well as the critical role of introductory mathematics courses. I will review results along these themes, highlighting interactions which define that ecosystem and support/constrain different aspects of student success, for different populations. This includes the role of intra- and extra-curricular factors such as student-student interactions, course coordination, departmental culture, and instructors’ beliefs. Implications for research and practice will also be discussed.

Bio: Dr. Naneh Apkarian is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at Arizona State University. She is from California, where she obtained a BA and MA in mathematics prior to completing her PhD in mathematics education. Pursuing departmental change as a strategy for transforming mathematics education, she was for two years a postdoctoral researcher at Western Michigan University. Her research spans many facets of the STEM education ecosystem, including the knowledge, beliefs, practices, and experiences of students and instructors, departmental culture, and interactions within and across levels – always in the service of building inclusive excellence. Outside academia, Dr. Apkarian continues to play competitive water polo across the US and the world.