ACT-STEM Heads to St.Louis!

On June 9-11th the ACT-STEM team attended the 2025 Transforming InstitutionsConference (TIC) in St. Louis, Missouri. The team presented at several different poster sessions and shared their research on Teaching TRIOS method (Bleiler-Baxter et al.,2021), teaching culture, departmental culture, and empowering STEM faculty using Self-Determination Theory (SDT).Dr. Greg Rushton, led a round table discussion about positioning Teaching & Learning and STEM Education Centers for maximum impact in their community, and how to navigate challenges successfully. Aspen Malone, Research Project Manager, attended her first conference and presented her poster “Behind the Research: A Team Building and Productivity Case Study” which shared her findings about how utilizing a growth mindset within teams can help increase efficiency and cultivate a positive team culture.

The ACT-STEM team returned with a new focus on incorporating student feedback into their projects and several new professional development tools to implement within the team. Coming away from the conference, team members were encouraged and excited about the possibilities regarding the future of a culture of growth at MTSU, and took away important lessons about operationalizing institutional change from the bottom up. We look forward to seeing what amazing things we will do using our new insights!