College of Arts & Sciences Good News – Natural Science Division Edition
January-March 2025
Student News
Allison Arms (Biology) has received a post-graduate job offer from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that derived from her attendance to the Fall STEM Career Fair.
Congratulations, Allison!
Faculty News
Victor Carmona, Ph.D. (Biology) is excited to share a new publication, which grew out of a collaborative exploration that Dean Mathews, Christine Broussard, Ph.D., and Todd Lorenz, Ph.D. helped foster:
- Carmona-Galindo, V.D.; Velado-Cano, M.A.; Groat-Carmona, A.M. The Ecology of Climate Change: Leveraging Virtual Reality to Share, Experience, and Cultivate Local and Global Perspectives. Educ. Sci. 2025, 15, 290. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030290
On a personal note, Dr. Carmona would like to share that this is his first publication with his younger sister, Assistant Professor Anna Groat Carmona at the University of Washington-Tacoma.
I want to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible environment you’ve [NSD] created – one where collaboration, creativity, and pushing the boundaries of education are truly valued. I have never felt more at home in an institution, and I recognize how rare and meaningful that is. Your [Dean Mathews, Dr. Broussard, and Dr. Lorenz] leadership in fostering a space for innovation is what makes successes like this possible, and I see you.
Abstract
The global challenge of climate change demands innovative, inclusive, and experiential education that fosters ecological literacy, behavioral change, and climate advocacy. This study explores a cross-cultural collaboration between two undergraduate ecology courses—one at the University of La Verne (ULV) in California and the other at the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) in El Salvador—that employed 360° virtual reality (VR) photosphere photographs to investigate climate change impacts. Students documented local ecological phenomena, such as drought and habitat loss, and shared insights with international peers, facilitating a rich exchange of perspectives across biomes. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT were utilized to overcome language barriers, enabling equitable participation and enhancing cross-cultural communication. The findings highlight VR’s transformative role in helping students visualize and communicate complex ecological concepts while fostering empathy, emotional engagement, and agency as climate advocates. Institutional and curricular factors shaping the integration of VR-based approaches are discussed, along with their potential to drive behavioral shifts and promote global engagement. This study demonstrates that immersive technologies, combined with collaborative learning, provide a powerful framework for bridging geographic and cultural divides, equipping students with the tools and perspectives needed to address the critical global challenges posed by climate change.
JEDI in STEM
Dr. Ariela Kaspi Kaneti (Chemistry) and Dr. Jennifer Clarke (Biology) in the yearlong JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) in STEM Program, a professional learning program centered around cultural competence and equity-mindedness. The program helped faculty develop skills to meet their changing roles that increasingly require faculty to adopt a holistic approach to supporting student success, beyond the traditional focus on the cognitive domain of learning. Faculty participated in professional activities, reflecting on their teaching through reading and writing, discussion of Culturally Sustaining Practices (CSP), learning about inclusive pedagogies, and revising curriculum in faculty learning communities.
The Certification of Completion Awards were presented at the NSD Spring Welcome Back Reception on Friday, February 21, 2025.
