Dr. Janice Sullivan has been named to the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology Board of Directors.
Sullivan is the dean of academic affairs at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts.
The consortium is an organization that works to foster, support and advance the efforts of schools whose primary purpose is to academically prepare students for leadership in mathematics, science and technology. The consortium was established in 1988 to provide a forum for members to exchange information and program ideas and to develop an alliance. The consortium has more than 100 institutional members in 31 states.
Sullivan said she sees the three-year term on the consortium’s board as an opportunity to help develop education policy and suggest policy reform.
“Through [the consortium], we are able to propose changes to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. We are able to help schools not only like ours but also schools that want to implement STEM initiatives in their curricula,” Sullivan said.
“… It is very exciting because it is an opportunity to really make a difference for students and the faculty by working in cooperation with these specialized STEM schools.”
Sullivan was elected to the board in November. She attended her first meeting of the board at the New College of Florida in Sarasota, Fla., on Jan. 17-19. Sullivan was appointed to the consortium’s Diversity and Publications committees.
The Diversity Committee will focus on creating guidelines for access, engagement and the retention of minority students in STEM schools. Sullivan said the goal will be identifying ways schools can find and retain minority students without lowering the academic excellence that are inherent in the schools.
“It’s [about finding] a way to identify these talented students, engage them and keep them in these kind of schools,” she said.
During the January meeting, Sullivan invited Dr. Donna Elam to speak to the board. Elam is a nationally and internationally recognized authority in diversity and cultural competence training for governmental, business, community and educational agencies.
Elam is director of the Tampa Bay Educational Partnership at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. She is also serving her third term as a member of the Florida Commission on Human Relations, of which she serves as chairwoman. She has also received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation Director’s Award for a her work as a member of the U.S. Attorney General’s Hate Crimes Working Committee and being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for her work in youth development and student achievement.
Sullivan said Elam spoke about what she has found in her research that could be applied to the consortium schools.
As a member of the Publications Committee, Sullivan will write a diversity column for the consortium’s journal. She will also help revise a second edition of the consortium’s book “Guiding Student Research: Making Research Happen in Your School.” The first edition was published in 2005.
Sullivan said her board membership has advantages for both ASMSA and for the consortium’s institutional members. ASMSA’s involvement with the consortium will allow the school to share its institutional knowledge with other schools.
“We have firsthand experience in participating in pilot studies, participating in pilot programs, so we can identify issues sooner than other schools like ours may,” she said. “And it’s an opportunity to really get involved in making changes. … There are a lot of things that can be learned from our faculty and our staff.”
The advantage for ASMSA is the opportunity to network with schools like ASMSA, Sullivan said. As an example she mentioned the similarities between ASMSA and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, N.C., including the school’s curriculum and that the North Carolina school also was established in a former hospital.
“It is very important to have the opportunity to learn from them, to interact and collaborate,” Sullivan said of the consortium’s members. “I think it’s an amazing opportunity for learning and sharing.”
Photo above: From the left, Dr. Janice Sullivan, dean of academic affairs at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts; Dr. Donna Elam, director of the Tampa Bay Educational Partnership at the University of South Florida; and Dr. Tim Gott, director of the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, pose for a photo during a meeting of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology Board of Directors in January.