Information Science Staff Receive Outstanding Department Award During the October 18th President’s Staff Sack Lunch and Awards Ceremony, UNT President, Neal J. Smatresk, presented the Department of Information Science with an “Outstanding Department” award. Information Science accolades include one of UNT’s fastest-growing departments, some of UNT’s highest-ranking graduate programs, and their remarkable research productivity. President Smatresk also recognized the Department of Information Science for its focus on student success, support for three student organizations, hosting multiple open house events throughout the year, and the annual Multi-Disciplinary Information Research Symposium as seen on page 29. Please join us in congratulating and thanking the Department of Information Science staff for their hard work and commitment to student success!
UNT Empowers New Generation of Female Scientists with STEM Camps at Fort Worth Museum of Science and History The University of North Texas and Fort Worth Museum of Science and History collaborated on STEM camps for middle and high school girls from underrepresented communities in North Texas. Girls SURGE into STEM XR Camp is led by Aleshia Hayes, Assistant Professor in the College of Information Department of Learning Technologies, along with a group of undergraduate and graduate students at UNT. Hayes runs the Simulation User Research Game Experience Lab, or SURGE Lab at UNT, which focuses on researching ways extended realities and game technologies can help resolve key educational and social challenges, while improving entrepreneurship and STEM learning among diverse communities. The June 2022 camps at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History introduced girls to emerging technology tools (like augmented and virtual realities) for STEM education. Students learned and applied transferable skills including design thinking, user experience testing and prototyping. They even had an opportunity to be published co-authors on an academic paper about user experience testing, increasing their self-efficacy in STEM.
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