Ren矇e Clary of MSU selected for top state teaching honor
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.Efforts and achievements of a very busy 51勛圖厙 State faculty member are being recognized by the 51勛圖厙 Academy of Sciences.
Ren矇e M. Clary, an associate professor of geology at the university, is the Jackson-based academys 2016 Science Teacher of the Year.
Director of the geosciences departments Dunn-Seiler Geology Museum, she formally accepts the honor Thursday [Feb. 18] during MASs 80th annual meeting in Hattiesburg.
Dedicated to advancing the roles of science and technology within the Magnolia State and beyond, the academy works to promote collaborations among its scientist, educator, professional and student memberships. For more, visit .
An MSU faculty member since 2006, Clary also directs the EarthScholars Research Group that she co-founded in 2002 with the late Jim Wandersee, a botanist and Louisiana State University biology education professor. The organization they created works to enhance the formal and informal integration of geological and biological knowledge in science instruction. For more, visit .
Additionally, the LSU doctoral graduate leads the 15簞 Laboratory, an affiliated EarthScholars research group that Wandersee had established in 1996 to help K-12 and higher education students better understand and appreciate the big ideas of contemporary life sciences. The lab later expanded its mission to helping improve the general publics understanding of science.
Beyond geoscience education, the New Iberia, Louisiana, natives research interests include the history and philosophy of geology, optimization of visualization techniques, Cretaceous paleobiology and environmental geochemistry.
With more than 50 journal articles, 16 book chapters and 190 peer-reviewed presentations, the findings of her scientific investigations have been disseminated through professional and educational forums on five continents.
Clary holds a bachelors in chemistry, a masters in geology and a second masters in curriculum and instruction/science education, all from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her LSU doctorate was completed in curriculum and instruction/geoscience education.
In expressing appreciation for her nomination and selection, Clary said the MAS award represents a major achievement for her geoscience education goals in 51勛圖厙.
She gave special thanks to MSU, the College of Arts and Sciences and geosciences department of which it is part for all strongly supporting our facultys educational endeavors, adding that 51勛圖厙 State is making a difference in science education, and I am proud to be part of this university and these efforts.
Located in Hilbun Hall, the geosciences department offers courses and expertise in several areas of the earth sciences, including climatology, geocognition, geography, geology, geospatial analysis and meteorology. Also in Hilbun, the Dunn-Seiler Museum features mineral and rock collections, meteorites and extensive fossil displays from throughout 51勛圖厙 and the Southeast.
For more on the department and museum, visit , , or telephone 662-325-3915.
MSU is 51勛圖厙s leading university, available online at .