Ohio Magazine Showcases BW STEM Scholar Success

The BW STEM Scholars program and physics and philosophy double major Sam Schwab '15 are featured in the current issue of Ohio Magazine. The "Career Choices" article notes the rise in U.S. jobs related to STEM, short for science, technology, engineering and math, and details how four Ohio colleges, including BW, are working to support student success in challenging STEM-related majors.

Schwab, who lives in BW's STEM Living Learning Community, had praise for opportunities that occur outside the classroom. “I was lucky enough to connect with some students and created a hands-on calculus course with a professor [ Dr. Edwin Meyer] last semester.”

The development of personal and professional career skills is another hallmark of the BW program. “We like the students to see the STEM fields as a business or entrepreneur opportunity,” Dr. Jacqueline Morris, director of neuroscience explained in the piece. “We want them to make the connection ... to make their education into a career.”

BW's director of STEM student initiatives, Stephanie Forstner, told the magazine that the BW approach, "offers holistic support — financially, academically and socially. Each student gets a success coach...throughout their college experience, and there is a real sense of community within the STEM program.” 

Statistics show that extra support pays off. BW STEM majors who are a part of the scholars program are nearly twice as likely to graduate with a STEM degree in four years, versus STEM majors who do not participate.

First Students Inducted into New BW Philosophy Honor Society

Eight students are the first to be inducted into BW's newly established chapter of Phi Sigma Tau, the International Philosophy Honor Society. BW’s Philosophy Department inducted students Jacob K. Hunter, Paul J. Krause, Michelle J. Kupiec, Adam H. Lyons, Mary J. Morgan, Timothy J. Reinhart, Samuel M. Schwab and Paige Serbin into the inaugural class of the honor society. Membership is extended to both outstanding students and professors of philosophy.

In addition to recognizing academic excellence, membership in Phi Sigma Tau provides a means for furthering scholarship, as well as communication and networking between philosophy departments in accredited institutions. Founded in 1930, the Society now has a network of over 200 chapters throughout the United States and Canada, with 12 chapters in Ohio.

Learning from Real World Experiences in Sustainbility

Teachers, students and anyone else interested in sustainability have a new resource to explore the real-world experience of groundbreaking green companies and organizations based in Northeast Ohio.

Thanks to generous support from the McGregor Fund, Baldwin Wallace University, a leader in sustainability education and practice, has produced a series of case studies on 11 of the region's sustainability pioneers, including Fairmount Minerals, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Sustainable Cleveland 2019 and West Creek Conservancy.

BW sociology professor Jill Stephens Fleisher edited the collection, which was authored by BW faculty from a variety of disciplines including sociology, political science, biology, philosophy, health and physical education, and business.

You can access all of the case studies through an open-source webpage at http://www.bw.edu/academics/sustainability/neo-case-studies