Events

Étudions ensemble! : Un espace d'étude francophone présenté par SciLearn!

Wednesdays, March 18 - April 14, 3:00-5:00pm, Burnside Hall Basement room 1B17

Étudions ensemble ! is a francophone study space open to all undergraduate students. Come with your friends or make new ones as you study for the course of your choice. As part of the SciLearn program, Étudions ensemble ! aims to support French-speaking students in making friends and learning for their courses - all with free donuts!

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Étudions ensemble ! offre un espace d’étude francophone ouvert à tous·tes les étudiant·e·s au baccalauréat. Venez étudier, seul·e·s ou en groupe, pour le cours de votre choix peu importe votre langue maternelle, votre programme, ou votre faculté. Intégré au programme SciLearn, Étudions ensemble ! mise sur les échanges en français afin de tisser des liens amicaux et de mieux apprendre grâce à une langue que l'on partage. Un moment convivial de coopération entre pairs en français, autour des cours que vous avez déjà en commun — le tout avec des beignes gratuits !

For accessibility information click here.

Teaching for Learning Month

Every day in May 2026

Teaching for Learning Month is presented by Teaching and Academic Programs (TAP) and offered in partnership with The Office of Science Education (OSE). The theme for May 2026 is Fostering relationship-rich classrooms.

Choose from a variety of facilitated events and self-access activities to suit different schedules and ways of participating.

What are relationship-rich classrooms?

Relationships are a vital part of the educational experience. Learning environments that prioritize trust, belonging, and meaningful interaction foster crucial connections, which help students engage with academic content, develop essential learning skills, and overcome challenges. In an age increasingly shaped by generative AI, relationships cultivated in the classroom serve as a vital counterbalance, grounding learning in empathy, authenticity, and shared experience.

Friday, May 1, 2026, 10:00-11:00am, Online

A conversation with Dr. Mays Imad (Facilitated by Dr. Armin Yazdani, OSE)

Join us for an online session with neuroscientist and educator Prof. Mays Imad as she explores how relationship rich teaching nurtures meaning, sparks insight, and sustains learning. Drawing on her research  in neuroscience and motivation, Mays will share with us how caring, connected classrooms help students make sense of complexity, experience “aha” moments, and build lasting understanding. 

Read some of Mays’ recent publications in The Teaching Professor:

• Teaching for Meaning: How Neuroscience Informs Connected, Relevant, and Coherent Learning

• Teaching for Replay, State, and Sustainability: Making Learning Stick, Settle, and Endure

• Aha Moments and the Art of Cultivating Insightful Thinking 

Register here for the conversation with Mays Imad

This event is part of Teaching for Learning Month.

Exploring student perspectives on relationship-rich education

Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 10:00-11:00am, McLennan Library Building, Room MS-74

Join us for this unique, interactive event developed in collaboration with undergraduate student leaders where you will hear directly from students about what relationship-rich education looks and feels like. Engage in activities designed to facilitate meaningful dialogue with students, and gain insight into how belonging and support shape student learning experiences.

Discussion on the Freshman Research Initiative with Dr. Gwendolyn Stovall, The University of Texas at Austin

Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 2:00–3:30 pm, 2001 McGill College, room 650

Dr. Gwendolyn Stovall is an Associate Professor of Practice in Molecular Biosciences at UT Austin and a leader in the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), a large-scale program that integrates authentic research experiences into undergraduate education. She also directs the High School Research Initiative, an NIH-supported program that brings inquiry-based research into high school classrooms.

Dr. Stovall will give a brief presentation on the Freshman Research Initiative, focusing on how large-enrollment, course-based research programs are designed and implemented, followed by a Q&A.

Stovall, G. M., Huynh, V., Engelman, S., & Ellington, A. D. (2019). Aptamers in education: Undergraduates make aptamers and acquire 21st century skills along the way. Sensors, 19(15), 3270.

Buckley, D., Stovall, G. M., et al. (2025). The high school research initiative prepares and supports Texas science teachers doing research in their classrooms. American Journal of STEM Education, 16, 95–108.

You can learn more about Dr. Stovall’s work here: University of Texas at Austin and here: Gwendolyn Stovall

For accessibility information click here.

Making space for in-class connections

Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 10:00-10:45am, McLennan Library Building, Room MS-74

This panel will explore how flipped classroom and blended learning approaches can foster in-class connection opportunities that enhance the student learning experience. Panelists will share examples of reshaping class time to foster community and conversation among students and with the course teaching team.

Panelists: Dr. Grant McKenzie, Associate Professor, Geography
Dr. Katelin Schutz, Assistant Professor, Physics (Trottier Space Institute)
Dr. Pallavi Sirjoosingh, Senior Faculty Lecturer, Chemistry

Moderator: Dr. Véronique Brulé, Educational Developer, Office of Science Education