User:Samantha.strachan

Dr. Samantha L. Strachan serves as Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Secondary Education at Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama. She has an earned doctorate in Science Education from Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD), a Master of Secondary Education (Biology) degree from Alabama A&M University (Normal, AL), and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Mount Allison University (New Brunswick, Canada).

Prior to becoming a faculty member at Alabama A&M University, Dr. Strachan served as a science education research assistant where she conducted research focused on improving how urban students, particularly those of African descent, are taught science. As a teacher educator, she has served as a faculty representative for NASA’s MSI TEN Network and a faculty mentor for NASA’s MUREP Educator Institutes. She is a certified AMSTI (Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative) trainer for pre-service educators, and has sat on the Board of the Alabama Science Teachers Association (ASTA).

Dr. Strachan’s current research is focused on improving African American males’ participation in the teaching profession. Her work also focuses on pedagogical practices in science classrooms. In addition to publishing her work, she serves as Project Director of the M.AL.E. (Males for Alabama Education) Initiative, a state-sponsored program, and as co-Principal Investigator on a grant funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). She has presented her research, both nationally and internationally, at several professional education conferences. She is two-time Jhumki Basu Scholar, a 2018 Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Clinical Fellow, and the 2019 recipient of Alabama A&M University’s Excellence in Faculty Advising/Mentoring award.