Miami, Dec. 3, 2019 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) acclaimed School of Education will host astrophysicist Dr. Jeffrey Bennett as part of its STEMinair Series, Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 10:45 a.m., at the Padrón Campus. This event is free and open to the public.
“Having students learn about the connections between education and careers is a great method to increase diversity in STEM, said Dr. Malou Harrison, President of MDC’s North and Padrón Campuses. “We are glad Dr. Bennett will be sharing his story at Padrón Campus.”
Dr. Bennett is the lead author of best-selling college textbooks in astronomy, mathematics, statistics, and astrobiology (life in the universe); together, these books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. He served two years as a visiting senior scientist at NASA and was the first scientist hired to leverage science missions for education. Working closely with NASA’s Education Division, the Hubble Space Telescope team and other science missions, he is credited with helping bridge the cultural divide between education and science on the project. In addition, he created the initiative to develop education through Astronomy (originally IDEA, later called IDEAS). As an advocate for science and mathematics education, currently, Dr. Bennett is a full-time writer, speaker, and educator who travels the world with the goal of promoting global education with emphasis on understanding of the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Dr. Bennett holds a B.A. in Biophysics from the University of California at San Diego and an M.S. and Ph.D., in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The STEMinair Series are supported by the STEM-Mia program which provides mentoring, community engagement opportunities, scholarships and educational supports to increase the retention and success rates of academically talented students in STEM disciplines. It’s specifically tailored to strengthen STEM communities on campus; reinforce S-STEM scholars’ identity development as future scientists and engineers; and strengthen their leadership and teamwork self-efficacy. The STEM-Mia program is presented with the support of the National Science Foundation.
For more information, please contact Dr. Kimberly S. Lanier at 305-237-6567, klanier1@mdc.edu.
WHAT: MDC’s School of Education to Host astrophysicist Dr. Jeffrey Bennett
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 10:45 a. m. – 12 p.m.
WHERE: MDC’s Padrón Campus, Room 6105 , 627 SW 27th Avenue