– PORTFOLIO –
Serigne Gningue
Teaching the Next Generation
of STEM Students
In a world of ever-changing technological discoveries and
advancements, it is not surprising that careers in the STEM fields—
science, tech, engineering, and mathematics—are in high demand.
Reports claim that STEM jobs will grow 17 percent in the next
decade, compared to just 12 percent growth for non-STEM
jobs. However, studies also show that these industries lack
diversity, with people of color and women of all races employed
in disproportionately small numbers. Lehman has taken on the
challenge to increase the participation of all groups and to
guarantee that its students can succeed in these industries.
One of the College’s most rigorous commitments to preparing its
students for such careers is the STEM Scholars Program. The
program links the three CUNY colleges in the Bronx, allowing
STEM scholars from Hostos Community College and Bronx
Community College the opportunity to complete a summer
laboratory research training program at Lehman, working with
faculty members and forming mentor relationships. Students also
present their experimental data, learn how to properly present
material, and defend their work when questioned by peers. Joseph
Rachlin, a professor in Lehman’s Biological Sciences department
and dean of research, believes it is “a bridged research experience”
for students moving from community to senior colleges.
Serigne Gningue, a professor of mathematics education, is committed to STEM-related research that will improve the ways in
which children learn mathematics. If they are better prepared at
a young age, he said, they are more poised to enter a STEM field
when older. Gningue, who taught middle school math for a decade
in the Bronx, co-directs the Mathematics Transformation Teacher
Institute (MTTI). This five-year National Science Foundation-funded
program, which began in 2009, was designed to support the
development of educators to strengthen mathematics teaching
and learning in Bronx middle and high schools. “Children who are
taught well at a young can engage in critical, in-depth, higher-order
thinking, and are able to reason,” said Gningue. “They can also
synthesize and interpret information, solve mathematical problems
on their own, and communicate ideas; all of which leads to one’s
development of self-confidence and self-efficacy in dealing and
coping with real life situations.” With its STEM Scholars Program
and MTTI, Lehman College is preparing its students for the future,
and making sure that future includes everyone.
Lehman Today/Spring 2015
19