In 2023, a faculty and staff team at Rice were awarded a $2.5 million, multi-year grant by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) as part of the Institute’s Driving Change Initiative (DCI). Led by Janet Braam (PI), Wiess Professor of Biosciences and Associate Dean of Natural Sciences for Strategic Initiatives, and a team of co-PIs (Quenemoen and Taylor of OSEI, and Professor Tony Varilly-Alvarado of Mathematics), the HHMI award is funding a multi-layered approach to removing systemic barriers that create disparities of educational access, classroom experiences, and academic outcomes in foundational STEM courses for students from under-resourced or under-represented backgrounds. Specifically, the grant funded the hiring of three teaching professors in Mathematics and faculty learning communities who are remaking how Calculus and first-year Physics are taught by use of evidence-based, inclusive pedagogies. The grant will also fund professional development for faculty with a focus on equity-mindedness.
Rice is one of six 2023 Driving Change awardees. Driving Change grant awardees are also members of the Driving Change Learning Community of 38 institutions who work together to create inclusive environments, support student success and recognize institutional practices that are barriers to inclusion.
Leadership Team: Janet Braam (PI), Margaret Beier, Alex Byrd, Liz Eich, Tom McCabe, Taylor Payne, Dereth Phillips, Renata Ramos, Caroline Quenemoen, Matt Taylor, Anthony Várilly-Alvarado