4 Projects Receive 2023 Cottrell Scholar Collaborative Awards
Research Corporation for Science Advancement has made Cottrell Scholar Collaborative Awards of $25,000 each to four new collaborative projects that emerged from discussions at the 2023 Cottrell Scholar Conference, which focused on the theme of incentivizing cultural change in academia.
Cottrell Scholar Collaborative teams are made up of Cottrell Scholars, Fulbright-Cottrell Scholars, and Robert Holland Jr. Award recipients who attend the annual conference. For their projects, they work across disciplines and in partnership with national initiatives, to develop innovative and high-impact ways to create positive change and improve undergraduate and graduate-level science education.
These projects have received 2023 Cottrell Scholar Collaborative Awards:
Academic Leadership Training (ALT) 2.0
A 2014 Cottrell Scholar Collaborative grant helped launch a unique and well-regarded series of leadership workshops to help participants advance through their paths in the physical sciences as department chairs, deans, provosts, or center directors. Academic Leadership Training (ALT) workshops were held in person annually at the American Chemical Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., from 2016 to early 2020, and virtually in 2021. This project aims to restart the popular workshops by piloting a new “host institution” model, built from a consortium of universities and colleges who see the value in academic leadership development, putting the training program on a long-term path to sustainability.
Lead Cottrell Scholar: Rigoberto Hernandez, chemistry, Johns Hopkins University
Co-leads: Karen Bjorkman, astronomy, University of Toledo, and Peter Dorhout, chemistry, Iowa State University
In collaboration with additional Cottrell Scholars:
Stephen Bradforth, chemistry, University of Southern California
Seth Cohen, chemistry, University of California, San Diego
Jen Heemstra, chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis
Michael Hildreth, physics, University of Notre Dame
Adam Leibovich, physics, University of Pittsburgh
George Shields, chemistry, Furman University
CONTOUR-A: Cross-Organizational Network for Tools to Optimize Undergraduate Research in Astronomy
Unprecedented growth in the number of astronomy and physics majors at colleges and universities across the country has challenged the ability of STEM faculty to provide inclusive access to genuine, in-depth undergraduate research experiences, and to support students in building the valuable skills, such as coding and public speaking, that research naturally develops. This collaboration of Cottrell Scholars in astronomy and physics from research universities and primarily undergraduate-serving institutions aims to evaluate and curate a repository of teaching materials and resources that can be shared widely to help stretched-thin faculty accommodate growing student needs.
Lead Cottrell Scholar: Rachel Bezanson, astronomy, University of Pittsburgh
In collaboration with additional Cottrell Scholars:
Darcy Barron, physics, University of New Mexico
Laura Blecha, physics, University of Florida
Laura Chomiuk, astronomy, Michigan State University
Ilse Cleeves, astronomy, University of Virginia
Kate Follette, astronomy, Amherst College
Carla Fröhlich, physics, North Carolina State University
Eilat Glikman, physics, Middlebury College
Vera Gluscevic, astronomy, University of Southern California
Britt Lundgren, astronomy, University of North Carolina at Asheville
Noel Richardson, astronomy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Leslie Rogers, astronomy, University of Chicago
Ryan Trainor, astronomy, Franklin & Marshall College
Jessica Werk, astronomy, University of Washington
Gail Zasowski, astronomy, University of Utah
Hidden Figures in Physics and Astronomy: Highlighting Scientists from Marginalized Backgrounds in Course Lectures
Learning about the contributions of historically marginalized physicists and astronomers can help foster a sense of belonging among students from those groups, increasing their retention in STEM studies. It can also create a more holistic and diverse view of scientists among people outside STEM fields. This collaborative aims to create an online, searchable catalog of information about diverse role models in science to help instructors at the high school and college levels more easily incorporate into their lectures the contributions of Black, brown, women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and others who may not be well known.
Lead Cottrell Scholar: Javier Duarte, physics, University of California, San Diego
In collaboration with additional Cottrell Scholars:
Kathy Aidala, physics, Mount Holyoke College
Mario Affatigato, physics, Coe College
Wen-fai Fong, astronomy, Northwestern University
Mark Ilton, physics, Harvey Mudd College
Catherine Kealhofer, physics, Williams College
Lydia Kisley, physics, Case Western Reserve University
Ryan Trainor, astronomy, Franklin & Marshall College
Gail Zasowski, astronomy, University of Utah
Lead Better, Disrupt Barriers, and Have an Impact
Bringing change to academia can be a slow and complex process, but Cottrell Scholar Collaboratives and leadership workshops have helped advance the community’s efforts. Over the years, many Cottrell Scholars have taken on positions of administrative leadership, while others have become academic leaders with networks and abilities to get things done. This project aims to craft a book on best practices of leadership, leveraging the experience and promoting the values of the Cottrell Scholar community. The book will be publicly available for download on the RCSA website and distributed at RCSA-supported workshops.
Lead Cottrell Scholar: Jennifer Ross, physics, Syracuse University
In collaboration with additional Cottrell Scholars and Holland Awardees:
Kathy Aidala, physics, Mount Holyoke College
Penny Beuning, chemistry, Northeastern University
Karen Bjorkman, astronomy, University of Toledo
Linda Columbus, chemistry, University of Virginia
Charlie Doret, physics, Williams College
Carla Fröhlich, physics, North Carolina State University
Jason Gillmore, chemistry, Hope College
Boyd Goodson, chemistry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Theodore Goodson, chemistry, University of Michigan
Natalie Gosnell, physics, Colorado College
Jen Heemstra, chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis
Rigoberto Hernandez, chemistry, Johns Hopkins University
Mike Hildreth, physics, University of Notre Dame
Malika Jeffries-EL, chemistry, Boston University
Adam Leibovich, physics, University of Pittsburgh
Jane Liu, chemistry, Pomona College
Gina MacDonald, chemistry, James Madison University
Alison Patteson, physics, Syracuse University
Rae Robertson-Anderson, physics, University of San Diego
Claire Till, chemistry, Humboldt State University
Rory Waterman, chemistry, University of Vermont
Amanda Wolfe, chemistry, University of North Carolina at Asheville
