2025 UTeach STEM Educators Conference
Belonging as a Catalyst for STEM Learning
May 20–22, 2025
Reno, Nevada
Join us in May for connection and innovation with UTeach university faculty and staff from 54 UTeach programs, UTeach alumni teaching and leading in K–12 schools and districts, UTeach students, and higher education leaders.
In 2025, we're hosting the conference outside of Austin for the first time! And we are headed to Reno. It's exciting for everybody, and we're especially excited to have NevadaTeach at the University of Nevada, Reno as our co-hosts.
What if you could go to the conference and see a model UTeach program and enjoy the city and the outdoors? Find out here.
Registration
Your registration fee includes:
- Full access to all programming Tuesday, May 20 – Thursday, May 22
- Reception and Poster Session on Tuesday, May 20, with food and USEA Awards
- Breakfast and lunch on Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22
Fees
Register by April 6, 2025 for early bird discounts.
| Established programs that are paid USEA members | $600 |
| Established programs that are not paid USEA members | $775 |
| Implementing programs: 8 total complimentary registrations including a maximum of 2 students | $0 |
| UTeach alumni | $600 |
| K–12 educators who are not UTeach alumni | $775 |
| General attendees | $775 |
Lodging
Conference attendees can book rooms at the Atlantis Resort at a discount until April 11 OR until they sell out. Book a room soon because these rooms will be taken fast!
OPENING SESSION
The opening session features a grounding talk on belonging followed by an engaging panel discussion on the experience of belonging in education.
Grounding Talk — Making a Moment
What is a catalyst without enough energy? Join our facilitators for an activation exercise that will energize you, revive the mission, and solidify what “belonging” means to all of us.
Facilitators:
- Dr. Jacqueline Ekeoba, teachHOUSTON, University of Houston
- La Keisha Leonard, Teach North Texas, University of North Texas
Panel — Moments That Matter: Belonging as a Turning Point
What are those moments that matter for students, teachers, and researchers? Our panelists will discuss those pivotal moments when the gift of belonging has been given and received. They will also explore how to create a sense of belonging for others.
Panelists:
- Facilitator: Dr. Glenn Waddell, UTeachNevada, University of Nevada, Reno
- Dr. Uchenna Emenaha Miles, UTeachSA, University of Texas at San Antonio
- Caitlin Rosal, NevadaTeach alum and high school mathematics teacher
- Ja'Lah Tenner, UTeach South student, University of South Alabama
CLOSING KEYNOTE
Belonging by Design: Leveraging AI to Cultivate Relationships and Resilience
Dr. Catlin Tucker
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in the tools and systems we use to teach and learn, educators have a unique opportunity: to design with AI in ways that prioritize human connection, honor learner diversity, and build resilience. This keynote explores how AI can serve as a design thought partner — supporting the creation of inclusive, personalized STEM learning experiences that center relationships and foster belonging, especially for students who may not initially see themselves reflected in STEM fields. More about Dr. Tucker.
Skeleton Schedule and Session List
9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Field trip to NevadaTeach and UNR
1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Opening Session
2:45 to 5:00 p.m. Sessions
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Reception and Poster Session
8:00 to 9:15 a.m. Breakfast (including separate breakfast meetups for Master Teachers, students, and co-directors)
9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Sessions
11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sessions
5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Alumni Mixer
8:00 to 9:15 a.m. Breakfast
9:15 to 10:30 a.m. Closing Keynote
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Sessions
12:00 to 1:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Sessions
Strengthening Curriculum and Instruction
Crash Course Corvette: Unraveling Motion With Physics and Forensics
Current Climate of Education: Inviting Students to Embrace the Field’s Complexity
Generative AI and Project-Based Instruction: Maximizing Benefits and Managing Challenges
Giving Life to Biology: Bridging the Gap Between Academia and the Field
How to Bring Three-Dimensional Instruction to Your Classroom
Identity Matters: The Importance of Identity in Cultivating a Sense of Belonging in STEM Education
Number Hive: A Game-Based Approach to Enhancing Mathematical Fluency in the K–12 Classroom
Supporting Preservice Primary School Teachers With Hands-on-Science
Using Differentiated Instruction for Classroom Interaction Students
Using RAG-AI Chatbots to Support Curricular Design
You Have CS Students in Your UTeach Program…Now What?
Course Overviews for all UTeach courses
Many sessions in this strand are also relevant for UTeach students.
Community Building and Support
Be the Catalyst! Explore Serving on a USEA Committee or Working Group
Find Your Flock: How USEA's PD and Induction Working Group Can Help You and Your Passion Projects
Promoting Seamless Transfer Pathways to Improve Community College Engagement and Transfer
Teacher Needs for Asynchronous Professional Development to Facilitate STEM for All Learners
The Impact of a Yearlong Induction and Mentoring Program for Program Graduates
Enhancing UTeach
Adapting UTeach Courses: Collaborative Solutions for CI and PBI at JacksTeach
Empowering UTeach: Accelerated Online Pathways for Transformative Teaching
Examining Teacher Residencies for Disciplinary Majors
From Buds to Blossoms: PVU Teach Grows
GeauxTeach STEM: Recruiting Future Math and Science Educators
Immersive Research Methods: Navigating UTeach, Mentorship, STEMM Laboratories, and Community Engagement
Not Just Surviving: Creating Community During Program Implementation
Research Methods in Education for Undergraduates: A New Type of Research Methods
Small Tweaks, Huge Gains: Insights Into Our Adapted Step Course Sequence
TeachSTEM Interns: Empowering Future Teachers Through Hands-on Experience and Community Engagement
USEA Recruitment Panel Discussion: Growing UTeach Programs Share Their Successful Strategies
UTeach for Texas: An Evolving Solution for Addressing the Uncertified Teacher Crisis in Texas
What Is UTeach?
Garnering Institutional Administrative Engagement with UTeach
Fundraising Essentials: Effective Communication for Donor Engagement
Get the Facts Out Alabama: Learnings from the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession Student Survey
Research, Inquiries, and Investigations
Administering the Perceptions of Teaching as a Profession Survey: Results From One University
Bad for Kids and Bad for Business: The Rise of Uncertified Teachers in Texas
Communicating Your Impact: Writing and Presenting as a Classroom Teacher
Enhancing Belonging: The Role of Student-Led Groups in STEM Teacher Preparation
Students Belong in Research and Design
Growing Educators of Mathematics and Science (GEMS): Reflections on Early Field Experiences
Investigating the UTeach STEM Teacher Pipeline: From Apprentice Teaching to Employment
NASA's GLOBE Program Teams up With NASA's K–12 Next Gen STEM Program
STEM Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Teaching With Online Technologies
Supporting the Apprentice: Successes and Challenges of Paid Versus Unpaid Internships
The Right Answer for the Wrong Reason: Step 1 Students’ Understanding and Perceptions of Inquiry
The Second Year Impact of UTeach-Trained K–12 Teachers on Developmental Math Classes at the University Level
What Do You Know About Your Preservice Teachers’ Spatial Reasoning?
Some sessions in this strand may be of interest to UTeach students.
UTeach Preservice Teacher Topics
Finding Your Teacher Voice
From Ideas to Impact: Preservice Teachers Shaping STEM Education
From Play to Pedagogy: Whirligigs as Learning Tools
Students are welcome to attend any session in any strand. Many sessions under Strengthening Curriculum and Instruction are relevant for current UTeach students. Some sessions in the Research, Inquiries, and Investigations may also be relevant.
Sponsor
Texas Instruments
For more than 30 years, Texas Instruments has been an active member of classrooms around the world, empowering teachers and inspiring students to succeed in STEM. Through our award-winning products, engaging lessons and top-notch professional development, TI is transforming the way teachers teach and students learn STEM subjects.
Exhibitors
240 Tutoring
240 Tutoring offers comprehensive digital study guides guaranteed to prepare educators to pass their certification exams – because the world needs more good teachers. 240 Tutoring continues to grow as more teachers use our resources and share their success stories. We now support more than 15 test series with 275+ digital study guides to help teachers nationwide pass their exams and get certified – so they can get in the classroom and reach their full potential as educators.
UTeach STEM Educators Association
The UTeach STEM Educators Association (USEA) brings together UTeach faculty, staff, students, and alumni from across the nation to advance our mission of transforming STEM teaching and learning by preparing and developing innovative and inclusive STEM educators.
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