2019 News Stories
Second cohort of teachers joins Tampa Bay Wipro Science Education Fellowship Program
TAMPA, Fla. (May 9, 2019) — A new cohort of 20 science educators was welcomed into the Tampa Bay Wipro Science Education Fellowship Program this week at the program’s annual induction ceremony.
Through a grant awarded to the University of South Florida (USF) by Wipro Limited, the Tampa Bay Wipro Science Education Fellowship Program brings together a select group of talented science teachers from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco County school districts to participate in a two-year professional development experience. The program provides teachers and administrators from different school districts with the opportunity to exchange ideas and explore innovative practices in science education.
Facilitated by College of Education faculty members Allan Feldman, PhD, and Karl Jung, PhD, fellows engage in lesson planning and research activities to develop improvement programs for science curriculum in their schools. Each teacher participates in the program for two years, completing 250 hours of intense capability development training while continuing to teach in their respective schools.
“Science should be taught in a way in which students are exploring their way through standards, and questioning concepts along with collecting data and reasonable conclusions,” said Tonia Flippen, a teacher from Pinellas County Schools and a fellow in the program’s first cohort. “The Wipro Science Education Fellowship has given me the opportunity to evaluate my own practice through following specific research articles and pedagogies… I am grateful to be part of this fellowship because it is giving me the opportunity to grow as a science educator and facilitate best practices for all students.”
The program tailors to the needs of its participants by utilizing the goals of the Wipro Science Education Fellowship Program, a multi-year program established in 2012 that aims to nurture excellence in science education in public school systems through teacher training. Educators in the program build leadership skills and teaching excellence within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines by leveraging research-validated expertise from participating universities and designing transformative instructional experiences for under-funded K-12 schools.
The new cohort of fellows include:
- Sherri Alvarez, Hillsborough County Schools
- Teresa Buckman, Hillsborough County Schools
- Karen Bulino, Pinellas County Schools
- Richard Card, Pasco County Schools
- Jennifer Cogan, Hillsborough County Schools
- Carrie Donatelli, Hillsborough County Schools
- Julie Fine, Pasco County Schools
- Brett Goodrich, Hillsborough County Schools
- Jennifer Griffone, Pasco County Schools
- Bhagyashree Kulkarni, Hillsborough County Schools
- Tara McClintick, Pinellas County Schools
- Cayla Repass, Pasco County Schools
- Daniel Rice, Hillsborough County Schools
- Jennifer Rivera, Pinellas County Schools
- Ann Salazar, Pinellas County Schools
- Latasha Seay, Pinellas County Schools
- David Seis, Hillsborough County Schools
- Sonila Toska, Pasco County Schools
- Anita Ventura, Hillsborough County Schools
- Michele Wiehagen, Hillsborough County Schools
About Wipro Limited:
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 160,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.