The AIMS Research Fellowship is provided to doctoral students in STEAM education fields to work alongside us in our projects with educators, community members, and youth. AIMS Research Fellows develop stronger research skills and approaches, work with our partner practitioners, present at conferences, and prepare publications. In sponsoring this program, we hope to support emerging scholars in developing practice-based approaches to research that center equity in the collaborative design of STEAM learning spaces, pedagogies, programs, research, and communities of innovation.
The AIMS research fellows will support the coordination of research activities alongside our strategic projects, with a major focus on data analysis, writing, and publication. They will work on designing and implementing professional learning activities, constructing informal STEAM learning opportunities, and developing community engagement efforts. They will also contribute to ongoing data collection, reporting, and communication with stakeholders.
Eligible candidates for this program are middle/late-stage students enrolled in a research-based doctoral program at an accredited U.S. institution. We welcome candidates who draw on a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives and interests, including early childhood education, professional learning, teacher education, mathematics and science education, learning sciences, constructionist and constructivist approaches, and cognitive science, among others.
Applicants should take some time to get to know our projects, research interests, and partnerships. Be sure to review our core values, our history as an organization, and our strategic goals. To apply, please submit the following materials to the online submission system.
A narrative summary of your research interest that addresses the following: What is the purpose or aim of your research? How does your research, scholarship, and community engagement align with the mission and vision of AIMS? What will it contribute to the field and to society? (maximum 500 words)
An updated Curriculum Vitae
Unofficial copy of your most recent transcript
Letter of recommendation from your doctoral advisor, including confirmation of eligibility for the Fellowship.
Please direct any questions to Paul Reimer at paul@aimscenter.org.
Hannah Smith is a Ph.D. candidate in the Learning Sciences & Technologies program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her research focuses on both the student and teacher aspect of learning. Her first line of research aims to identify the best ways to present learning materials to students in online environments. Her second line of research focuses on teacher professional development and how we can train teachers to be more confident when teaching STEM and give them the tools to do so. Together, she aims to make STEM learning more accessible to both students and teachers. She is currently working as a research fellow with the AIMS center, focusing on a STEM professional development program for Head Start teachers. Learn more on her website: https://tiny.cc/hannahsmith
Celeste Moreno is a third-year Ph.D. student at the ATLAS Institute at CU Boulder. She is a part of the Creative Communities research group, where she designs and studies creative learning experiences for learners of all ages that combine tools and ideas from multiple disciplines, such as computing, art, and science. She is currently focusing on on designing “computational tinkering” experiences that aim to engage learners in informal learning spaces in creative, social, and interdisciplinary approaches to computing and studying the facilitation practices that make those experiences possible.
Eli is currently a Master’s student in the Learning Science and Human Development cluster within Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education, working with Dr. Dor Abrahamson in the Embodied Design Research Lab, as well as the Berkeley Center for New Media. He is interested in contemplative learning at scale in the digital age, and how to support students in multimodal, embodied participation in learning contexts through novel educational approaches using tangibles and new media. Eli’s research focuses on clay as an expressive medium for surfacing pre-symbolic meaning-making, exploring the felt dimension of learning and the relationship between sensory modalities.
Meghan Macias is a 2nd-year PhD student at UC Santa Barbara. She received B.A.’s in Psychology and Education from UC Irvine in 2016. Prior to starting her PhD, she worked as a preschool teacher at a Montessori school in Orange County, CA. Her research focuses on early childhood science education, learning through play, and teacher education and professional development. She lives in Santa Barbara, CA.
Leah Rosenbaum is a 4th-year PhD student in UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education. She studies Learning Sciences and Human Development with a focus on mathematics education. Leah’s primary research interest is in tangible and play-based learning activities as a means for learners to concretely explore and describe math concepts. Currently, this interest in manifested in the design and evaluation of a body-scale, collaborative geometry game (think Twister meets DanceDanceRevolution for geometry) that was recently installed at the Lawrence Hall of Science as a visiting exhibit. She lives with her husband and their dog in Berkeley, California.
Jim Gribble is a Ph.D. student and M.Ed Technology instructor with the Teacher Education Program at UCSB. His research has focused on the impact of block-based computer coding on the communication and academics of children with autism. Jim is currently designing and researching a way for children to learn how to code in virtual reality in informal spaces (such as the MOXI museum and Maker Faires) and collaborating with Computer Science departments in Oulu and Tampere, Finland to design digital games for children with exceptionalities. Jim is a former K-2 teacher and technology coordinator. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA with his wife and newborn baby.
Alexis Deidre Spina is a third year doctoral student, focusing on Math Education. She received her B.A. in Physics Education from the University of Delaware in 2007, and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary Science Education from the University of Delaware in 2009. Prior to starting her PhD, Alexis taught high school math and science for ten years. Currently, her research interests are professional development for in-service mathematics teachers and preparing pre-service mathematics teachers. Alexis is a member or our GSAE, a CTERIN fellow, and an instructor at UCSB. She lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband and dog.
Brittany Caldwell is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Department of Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). Her research focuses on children’s early mathematics learning, English language learners, and supporting mathematics learning through play. Having taught in a preschool herself, Brittany also has years of practical experience in the classroom. Recently, she has collaborated with the Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning (CITL) at UCSC to develop a peer-mentorship program in the Education department. Brittany lives with her husband and two young daughters in beautiful Santa Cruz, California.
Aims Center for Math and Science Education
