
Our team of researchers and content creators works to define best practices in STEM initiatives. From organizing and judging Science Fairs to providing innovative curriculum advancing computational thinking, we engage communities to broaden STEM teaching and learning in southwest Illinois. Our research is as diverse as our activities! From cognitive science to computer usability, we strive to understand how people best learn and teach STEM in formal and informal settings. Visit our Research and Outreach pages for a complete list of our current activities. Support the STEM Center with a monetary or equipment contribution. Please take the time to designate that the donation is for the STEM Center.
Our Team
Dr. Sharon Locke
Dr. Georgia Bracey
Henriette Burns
Dr. Carol Colaninno
Candi Johnson
Matt Johnson
Dawn Olive
Emily Stanley
Colin Wilson
Carolyne Banks
Jacob Beardslee
Cristal Campocasso
Lisa Drennen
Josh Gifford
Xander Kalna
Olivia Middendorf
Aryaki Nagirddy
Juliana Okonya
Clark Sturdevant
Waleska Do Valle Santos
Suprasanna Aryal
Christine Favilla
Jannatul Ferdous
Danielle Fischer
Manuel Gomez
Katrina LaCombe
Morgan Tallman
Samantha Murphy

About our Logo:
You may recognize parts of our logo as a “Buckyball” or Fullerine atom. This atom is Carbon 60, and can be modeled using 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. In 2012, then student and artist Chris Spangler designed our logo. The atom is named for Buckminster Fuller, an American designer and inventor. He was also a professor at SIU Carbondale. You can see evidence of his amazing architecture when you visit SIUE’s campus – our Center for Spirituality and Sustainability is a geodesic dome and is the result of a partnership between Fuller and architect Shoji Sadao.