We’re thrilled to announce that Alexandria Roach, Barry University Class of 2018, has been named a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. This prestigious honor recognizes her critical work in the field of chemical education, which she is currently pursuing as a PhD studennt at Florida International University. “I am ultimately striving to increase scientific literacy,” she says.
The five-year fellowship not only provides funding to support Roach’s goal, it also promotes awareness of a growing effort among STEM educators and researchers to demystify the fields for young learners. “I think receiving this fellowship is excellent for the chemical education community, and STEM education as a whole, because it is an acknowledgment that we are here and we’re doing fantastic work,” she says.
According to Roach, her undergraduate experience in Barry’s Physical Sciences department inspired her doctoral research pursuits. The Chemistry major specialized in Biochemistry and minored in Biology, making her a knowledgeable, confident mentor, and she jumped at each opportunity to connect with other young people over science. She served as a student assistant to the Miami-area high schoolers who ventured onto campus annually to compete in Barry’s Chemistry and Physics Tournament, a favorite event during which she designed experiments and presented awards to top-performing students. Later, she tailored her senior project to collaborate with other visiting high schoolers. “One of Barry University’s core commitments is collaborative service, which I think is extremely important,” she says. “Participating in outreach and specifically scientific outreach as chemists/scientists contributes to destigmatizing STEM as being ‘too difficult.’”
Recognizing her talent and passion for education, as well as the barriers to scientific literacy, Roach began exploring career pathways that would allow her to create a meaningful impact. Soon after graduating from Barry, she connected with FIU’s Dr. Sonia Underwood, who now serves as Roach’s mentor as she pursues her doctoral research into the ways students and teachers can enhance learning and appreciation of core chemistry ideas. Her latest research initiative, and first publication, “Investigating undergraduate students’ comprehension of energy’s role in a reaction,” is currently underway.
Roach says the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship equips her with the much-needed resources to propel her work, freeing her to spend the bulk of her time observing chemistry students in action and immersing herself in research and publication initiatives. She is the fourth Barry graduate to receive such invaluable support through the NSF, joining the ranks of Maria Perez (’09), Diana Cordero Dumit (’17), and Qiwen Su (’17).
“My ultimate career goals are to become a great educator, researcher, and mentor,” says Roach. “I want to make an active effort to guide or uplift other chemical education researchers’ work. I want to provide the same quality guidance I have received from other STEM educators and researchers.” As she moves forward in her mission, she remains grateful for those who continue to encourage and influence her work. “I am constantly inspired by the faculty from Barry’s Physical Science Department, FIU’s Dr. Sonia Underwood, Dr. Justin Carmel, the STEM Transformation Institute collectively, and the higher education researchers of 3DL4US,” she says. We at Barry are equally inspired by Roach’s work and can’t wait to see what she does next.