SME in the News
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2025
VE/COIL Pioneers To Present at Global Conference in Greece
September 2025, Issue 27 UT Dallas Center for Teaching and Learning Newsletter
The pioneers of Virtual Exchange (VE)/Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at UT Dallas will be taking their work to the international stage next month. Dr. Kate York and Katie Donaldson MAT’93, master teachers in the UTeach Dallas program, will present their research at the International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) 2025 in Greece. IVEC is the leading global gathering for this pedagogy, which brings students and faculty together across borders through online collaboration.
Since 2015, UTeach Dallas faculty have engaged preservice teachers in more than 15 VE/COIL collaborations across nine countries. York and Donaldson, along with master teacher Denise Gregory, have introduced hundreds of UTeach Dallas students to these experiences, giving future K-12 STEM teachers valuable practice in global classrooms while developing their intercultural competence.
At IVEC, York and Donaldson will present their research poster, “A Missing Piece: Leveraging a Preservice (Initial) Teacher Education Program and K-12 Classroom VE Partnership to Enhance Preservice Teachers’ Live Teaching Experiences.” This study details a unique synchronous STEM VE/COIL teaching and learning experience between preservice teachers in the UTeach Dallas program and middle school students at Colegio Bayard, a private English-language immersion school in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Award-Winning Teacher Inspires Students with Interactive Science
Aug. 21, 2025 By: Jeff Joiner | UTD News
It’s not unusual to find Emma DeVine BS’19, MAT’21 collecting water samples in a stream or tagging monarch butterflies to study migration with her middle school students.
A University of Texas at Dallas alum, she has spent the last seven years teaching them the wonders of science not only in the classroom but also in the laboratory. This spring DeVine was named a Discovery Education Educator of the Year — one of five teachers nationwide to receive the honor.
“It never really crossed my mind to become a teacher, but I knew I wanted to do something in the science realm as a career,” DeVine said. “I really enjoyed it.”
Emma DeVine BS’19, MAT’21 believes in the value of being a citizen scientist, including working with groups to monitor water quality in Texas streams.
At UT Dallas, DeVine participated in UTeach Dallas, a program in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics that focuses on recruiting, developing and retaining secondary mathematics, science and computer science teachers. She started as an undergraduate biology major and was inspired to pursue a degree focused on science education after attending an informational meeting about opportunities for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers through UTeach Dallas. Read Award Winning Teacher Alumni
USEA Awards for 2025
May 2025, USEA Conference Proceedings
We’re proud to honor the following USEA award winners who have displayed passion and dedication for STEM disciplines.
Outstanding Master Teacher Award – Dr. Kate York, UTeach Dallas
Dr. Kate York, Master Teacher at the University of Texas at Dallas, exemplifies innovation, dedication, and leadership in STEM education. With over a decade of experience in teaching and curriculum development, she is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and broadening participation in STEM by creating welcoming and engaging learning environments that inspire both students and future educators.
As a Master Teacher, Dr. York demonstrates a strong commitment to service and leadership in STEM education. She actively participates in community outreach, professional development for in-service teachers, and mentoring students. Her combined 11 years instructing a range of UTeach courses have been instrumental in creating teachers who graduate ready to build vibrant, inclusive STEM classrooms. Dr. York’s curriculum enhancements have broadened student engagement through global collaborations, and her work with informal science education partners statewide has developed STEM curricula that benefit both local and international communities. She has led over ten virtual exchange experiences with nine different countries, enhancing global education perspectives, encouraging cultural competency, and offering a truly amazing opportunity for her preservice teachers to grow their perspectives.
Dr. York’s leadership extends beyond the classroom. She serves as the project lead for the Charles Butt Scholars within UTeach Dallas and oversees the UTeach Dallas Ambassadors, who assist with program recruitment and marketing. Her extensive involvement in professional development and grant initiatives underscores her ongoing contributions to leadership and service within the UTeach Dallas program and the broader UTeach community.
Dr. York demonstrates a strong commitment to service and leadership in STEM education, and her passion is an essential ingredient in the success of both the UTeach Dallas program and the broader UTeach community.
2024
Robotics Team, Aspiring Teachers Receive Recognition, Awards
Undergrads Earn Teaching Scholarships
Sept. 11, 2024 | UTD News
Eleven University of Texas at Dallas undergraduates studying to become science, math or computer science teachers have received the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers.
The competitive scholarship, which provides each recipient up to $10,000 per year for up to four years, helps to recruit and retain the most talented teachers for Texas public schools.
Last fall, the University’s UTeach Dallas program became a full partner in the Charles Butt Foundation’s Raising Texas Teachers project; teacher candidates in the UTeach Dallas program then became eligible to apply for the scholarship.
All 11 UT Dallas applicants were chosen to receive the scholarship.
The Associated Press: Can’t Get Enough of the Total Solar Eclipse or Got Clouded Out? Here Are the Next Ones To Watch For
April 8, 2024 | The Associated Press
“But it will be pretty spectacular. It’s going to go coast to coast.” — Dr. Mary Urquhart, head of the Department of Science/Mathematics Education
Interactive Physics Camp Fuels STEM Passion in Girls
March 1, 2024 | NSM News
Women in Physics Camp is a five-day annual summer program that introduces local middle and early high school girls to science, technology, engineering and math with fun, hands-on activities in mechanics, electromagnetism, space science, optics and engineering.
“Young children, girls and boys alike, tend to love science,” said Dr. Mary Urquhart, associate professor and SME department head. “For girls, interest in the physical sciences declines in upper elementary and middle school, often because those subjects are perceived to be boyish.”
UTD To Celebrate Solar Eclipse with Events Totally Made for Comets
March 25, 2024 | UTD News
The University of Texas at Dallas community will celebrate a celestial event almost 150 years in the making for North Texas with activities designed to bring Comets closer together and give them a better view of the science in the skies.
“For many viewers, this total solar eclipse will be a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Dr. Mary Urquhart, planetary scientist and associate professor and SME department head.
Experts To Shine Light on Significance of Upcoming Solar Eclipse
March 15, 2024 | UTD News
The University of Texas at Dallas and The Dallas Morning News have partnered to present a panel discussion on the April 8 total solar eclipse, a once-in-a-lifetime event that will blanket the Dallas-Fort Worth region in darkness at midday for a few short moments.
UT Dallas panelists include Dr. Mary Urquhart, associate professor and SME department head.
Alum’s Artistic Vision Comes to Light in National Eclipse Project
March 22, 2024 | UTD News
Brian Fridge MFA’11 worked with Dr. Mary Urquhart to learn more about the science behind a total eclipse.
“A project like this shows there are truly different ways of knowing,” said Urquhart, an associate professor and SME department head. “There are different ways of expressing curiosity. Science is one path, and I think art is another. When they work synergistically, you can create something truly special.”