Dr. Pamela Bishop
Associate Director for STEM Education
NIMBioS is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Pamela Bishop to Associate Director for STEM Evaluation.
A new offering at NIMBioS this year, NIMBioS Evaluation Services is geared toward providing external evaluation services to the STEM research and education sector, particularly interdisciplinary programs. Offering independent, rigorous and transparent formative and summative evaluation services specifically targeted toward the program goals, the NIMBioS evaluation team is led by Bishop and includes graduate research assistant Lakmal Walpitage and database specialist Ana Richters. A postdoctoral fellowship in evaluation services has also been created.
NIMBioS uses a Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) systems-based model for evaluation. The CIPP approach considers the organization as a whole, assessing the quality and significance of outcomes while still examining the inputs and processes that lead to these outcomes. The approach incorporates new research methods, such as bibliometrics, network analysis, and mapping of scientific output.
The team has already undertaken several projects, including landing a $299,990 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new tool to assess student learning in mathematics.
“Rigorous evaluation of new approaches in the training of the current and the next-generation of academic students is critical for advancement of student learning in science, technology, and mathematics, and for guiding how to promote interdisciplinarity across these fields. We are fortunate to do this under the considerable expertise and guidance of Pam Bishop,” said NIMBioS Director Colleen Jonsson.
Formerly NIMBioS Evaluation Manager, Bishop has been leading NIMBioS’ evaluation efforts since the institute was established in 2008. In addition to joining the NIMBioS leadership team, Bishop has been appointed adjunct professor in Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement Program in UTK’s Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling.