Gail Scordilis

Smith College

Director of Educational Outreach

Biography:

Gail E. Scordilis, Director of Educational Outreach and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biology at Smith College leads the college’s outreach and community engagement efforts; guiding outreach programs and community partnerships, promoting a campus-wide culture of community engagement, responsive citizenship, and the active generation of knowledge to benefit society.  Serving as the point of contact between community organizations and Smith, the Office of Educational Outreach provides sustained support for college/community partnerships, including:   partnership development and management; consultation, resources, and professional development for faculty and students; capacity building within community organizations; planning with faculty, departments, and programs around curricular pathways for community-based learning and research; orientations to specific community locations and organizations; and, assistance for faculty and students in grant-writing, assessment, risk management, and institutional review board approval for community projects.  

In addition to administering the college’s community based learning and research efforts, Dr. Scordilis has developed innovative outreach programs that address the challenges of overcoming stereotypes and attracting, encouraging and retaining students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); establishing the Smith College Summer Science & Engineering Program for high school girls, promoting the advancement of over 1600 young women from around the globe in STEM study, and the Smith College Summer Institutes for Educators, addressing issues of gender and pedagogy in STEM education for hundreds of middle and high school teachers. The recipient of numerous grants and awards in recognition of her work in support of STEM study for all, Scordilis’ work has been highlighted in reports by the National Council for Research on Women and the Association for Women in Science.

Scordilis received her Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Biological Science from Smith College in 1981, and her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1985.

Expertise: academic development, developing outreach programs and forging community partnerships,   fund raising, and program evaluation

Years of relevant experience:
20 years

Relevant Publications:
Scordilis, G. E., “Girls and Science:  What’s Gender Got to Do With It?” The Vincent Curtis Educational Register, 62nd Edition (2002).

Ellis, G.W., Scordilis, G.E. and C. M. Cooke, “New Pedagogical Approaches in Engineering Mechanics Yield Increased Student Understanding, Confidence and Commitment,” Proceedings of Frontiers in Education 2003, Boulder, CO, November 5-8 (2003).

Scordilis, G. E., Colter, S., Shapiro, D. and B. Kaiser, “Life-Changing Benefits of Summer Enrichment Programs,” National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science & Technology 2004 Professional Conference, New York, NY, March 11-13 (2004).

Ellis, G. W., Scordilis, G. E. and C. M. Cooke, “Effective Learner-Centered Educational Strategies for Use in the Science and Engineering Classroom,”  National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science & Technology 2004 Professional Conference, New York, NY, March 11-13 (2004).

Ellis, G.W., Rudnitsky, A. N., and G. E. Scordilis, “Finding Meaning in the Classroom:  Learner-Centered Approaches that Engage Students in Engineering,” International Journal of Engineering Education, 21, [4] (2005).

In addition, Dr. Scordilis has been interviewed and her work profiled in the following media: Smith Alumnae Quarterly, NewsSmith, The Boston Globe, The NY Times, The Springfield Union News, The Daily Hampshire Gazette, PE (National Society of Professional Engineers) Magazine, Public Radio WFCR and WAMC, and television WWLP 22, NBC Springfield and in reports by the National Council for Research on Women, and the Association for Women in Science.

Mission:

To promote a campus-wide culture of community engagement, responsive citizenship, and the active generation of knowledge to benefit society
GOALS 
•  To integrate community collaboration into the main fabric of the college through:
– supporting student, faculty, and staff participation in outreach, community service, service-learning, and community based participatory research;
– fostering links to the curriculum across divisions;
– encouraging students to connect their co-curricular and course-based community engagement.
•  To support faculty and students:
– in teaching and learning that are engaged and reciprocal with community;
– in research that is both rigorous and relevant to the needs and interests of community;
– in maximizing opportunities for students for collaboration, mentoring, learning, and research.

Staff size: 4

Overview of Programs:
– Outreach Programs
– Community Partnerships
– Service Learning Courses
– Community Based Participatory Research/Service Research

* In 2008-09 the above programs and activities involved over 100 Smith faculty and staff, 400 Smith undergraduates, and over 6,000 community participants

Link: http://www.smith.edu/outreach/

Contact information:

Office of Educational Outreach
Clark Hall
Smith College
Northampton, MA  01063
Tel: 413-585-3060
Fax: 413-585-3068
Email: gscordil@ smith.edu