Collaborating for Success
LAUNCH OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACADEMY BY THOMAS E. FIELDS ’14
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o ensure Westminster College graduates are well-prepared to operate in highly technical workplaces, professors Dr. Helen Boylan, Dr. Alison DuBois, and Brian Petrus are using a combination of their respected expertise to launch the Environmental Project Management Academy (EPMA) at Westminster. As the world continues to make great technological and scientific strides, those trained to work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) remain in high demand. But many employers have expressed concerns that STEM undergraduates, while well-versed in their disciplines, lack the critical soft skills to be successful in the workforce. STEM employers, on the other hand, are concerned about non-STEM majors lacking the basic scientific literacies necessary to succeed. With this in mind, and after Boylan—professor of chemistry and program coordinator for the environmental science major— witnessed the positive results of environmental-science based service learning in her classroom, Boylan
The force behind the new Environmental Project Management Academy are, from left, Dr. Alison DuBois, Brian Petrus, and Dr. Helen Boylan. approached colleagues DuBois and Petrus and the concept for EPMA was born. And over this past summer, the trio learned they received a grant of more than $200,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund EPMA over the next three years. Under EPMA, sophomores and juniors pursuing either STEM or business majors will work together on a semester-long service learning project
with a community partner. Boylan will lead the development and delivery of STEM educational content and handson experiences for the students. DuBois, professor of early childhood education, special education and counseling, is tasked with aligning the educational content and handson experiences with student learning objectives, directing instruction, and mentoring students on intangible
“Our students get the experience of approaching a topic or problem from multiple perspectives and disciplines. This is a valuable skill that puts Westminster students ahead of their competition in the workforce.”
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