Welcome! I am Dr. Justin Carmel, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as a DBER (Discipline Based Education Research) faculty in the STEM Transformation Institute at Florida International University.
My research is focused on three areas –
(1) Developing assessment tasks to measure students ability to use the scientific practices.
(2) Investigating the effects of students’ identities on their success in their chemistry major/courses, also looking at the effect of the laboratory curriculum on their identity.
(3) Exploring the connection between the identities of pre-service and in-service teachers and their use and modelling of scientific practices in the classroom.
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University advances study in all areas of the chemical sciences. We recognize the importance of a rigorous foundation in undergraduate and graduate study, and we aim to advance the body of chemical knowledge with meaningful research. We expect our students to become the next generation of scientific leaders in our community and throughout the world. We emphasize the fields of Biomedical, Environmental and Forensic chemistry but recognize that all aspects of chemistry are critical to our mission.
The STEM Transformation Institute is a multidisciplinary collaboration across the Colleges of Arts, Sciences & Education, and Engineering & Computing for the research and development of effective educational practices that lead to substantial increases in the number of well-prepared STEM professionals, including teachers, graduating FIU. Undertaking this challenge requires us to partner with local K12 systems and colleges, businesses and industry, foundations, and national education leaders in order to create an educational landscape that supports all students, coming through multiple pathways, and leading to a productive workforce. The STEM Institute capitalizes on the unique skills our diverse student population brings to their learning and ultimately the workforce. The Institute is FIU’s response to the national calls for 100,000 new STEM teachers and an additional 1,000,000 STEM professionals over the next 10 years; hence, our vision that the Institute serve as a living laboratory that disseminates practices, policies, and STEM professionals across the nation.