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Nicole Weber

Professor

617.349.8618
Nicole Weber

Dr. Nicole Weber is an artful scientist, creating holistic ways to teach and study STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) topics. She teaches for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lesley.

As the world becomes more culturally and biologically interconnected, people are becoming less connected to their natural surroundings. Through an intersection of conservation biology (research) and science education (application), Nicole bridges students’ scientific understanding to local issues in their community and natural environment on a personal, local, and global scale. She looks for ways of connecting conservation to students’ local community, through authentic experiences focused on social and environmental issues, to support students in developing a better understanding of common scientific misconceptions and the interplay of social and environmental issues.

In partnership with Susan Rauchwerk, Nicole also co-directs the EcoNet Lab, a creative space where educators can connect with scientists to create a learning community that supports local environmental literacy efforts, and has created a critical exploratory space for young minds (STEAM WonderLab). Their collaboration has begun a new dialogue around the embedded pedagogical goals within their science methods courses that ignited new research methods to study the pedagogical shift in a teacher’s experience.

Realizing the need and benefit of making the learning path more visual for students, Nicole enrolled in Lesley's MFA in Visual Arts Program. As Nicole shifts and finds comfort within the art discourse, her work looks at the female experience within the science disciplinary silo. Nicole is also a lead on the Mt. Auburn Citizen Science project and provides support for STEAM Beans.

Interests

  • Science Education
  • Engineering Education
  • STEAM (Science + Technology + Engineering + Art + Math) Education
  • Critical Exploration
  • Applied Conservation
  • Environmental Justice
  • Play
  • Anthropocene
  • Ecological Teaching and Learning
  • Environmental Education/Art
  • Womanhood
  • Earth/Land Art
  • Installation
  • Sense of Self and Place Exploration

Education

  • PhD, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Postdoctoral Research, Engineering Education, Purdue University
  • MFA in Visual Arts, Lesley University

Publications

  • Weber, N. & Lamour Sansone, K. (2016). Language of Design within Science and Engineering. In Annetta & Minogue (Eds.), Achieving Science and Technological Literacy Through Engineering Design Practices. Springer Publications.
  • Dyehouse, M., Weber, N., Fang, J., Harris, C., David, R., Hua, I., & Strobel, J. (2015). The effects of resistance to change on undergraduate engineering students’ environmental knowledge and attitudes. Studies in Higher Education.
  • Weber, N., Strobel, J., Dyehouse, M., Harris, C., David, R., Fang, J., & Hua, I. (2014).  First-Year Students' Environmental Awareness and Understanding of Environmental Sustainability Through a Life Cycle Assessment Module. Journal of Engineering Education. 103(1): 2168-9830.
  • Weber, N., Dyehouse, M., Miller, C., Fang, J., Hua, I., & Strobel, J. (2013). Impact of Household Location on First-Year Engineering Students' Environmental Awareness and Resistance to Change. Journal of Engineering Education. 102(4): 603-625.
  • Strobel, J., Wang, J., Weber, N., & Dyehouse, M. (2013). The Role of Authenticity in Design-Based Learning Environments: The Case of Engineering Education. Computers & Education, 64:143-152.
  • Poey, V., Weber, N., Diaz, G., and Smiley, S. (2013) Artful Science. Donovan and Dacey (Eds.). Shell Publishing.
  • Narayan, A., Weber, N., Richtsmeier, P., Trinetta, V., & Nelson, D. (2012). Postdoctoral Needs and Concerns: Purdue University and Beyond. POSTDOCket. v10 (4) 5-6.
  • Weber, N., Duncan, D., Dyehouse, M., Strobel, J., & Diefes-Dux, H. (2011).  The development of a systematic coding system for elementary students’ drawings of engineers. Journal of Pre-Engineering Education Research, v1(1), 49-62.
  • Strobel, J., Weber, N., Dyehouse, M, & Gajdzik, E, “Recommendations to realign the national STEM education agenda,” ASQ Higher Education Brief, Vol. 4, No. 1, February 2011.

Presentations

  • Weber, N., Dyehouse, M., Fang, J., Miller, C., Hua, I., & Strobel, J. (presented at AERA 2011, in preparation for publication). Impact of Household Location on First-year Engineering Students’ Environmental Knowledge and Awareness. Journal of Engineering Education.
  • Weber, N., Bawa, K., White, B. (presented at AERA 2011, in preparation for publication). Cultural Differences in Environmental Knowledge and Sense of Place. Conservation Biology.
  • Tomory, A., Strobel, J., Hua, I., *Harris, C., Fang, J., Naik, G., Dyehouse, M., and *N. Weber. (* presenters) 2011. Incorporation of Ecological Engineering into Secondary Science Classrooms. National Science Teachers Association Conference; San Francisco, CA.

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