Li Ke, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of science education in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno. He received the prestigious NSF CAREER Award, receiving $807,999 to support his innovative project. This project aims to integrate data science and issue-based science learning to promote scientific literacy and citizenship among middle school students.
The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Ke is the first in the College of Education & Human Development to receive this prestigious award.
"We are proud to have Dr. Ke as a faculty in the college," Donald Easton-Brooks, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education & Human Development said. "It is quality efforts like this that make our college among the world's best. Our students and community indeed benefit from Dr. Ke’s knowledge and research."
Twenty-seven University faculty have received an NSF CAREER Award since 2020. Four awards in 2020, eight in 2021 – the most ever in a single year – seven awarded in 2022, three in the 2023 cycle, and five in 2024. Within the last 28 years, 57 University faculty have been awarded.
Ke’s project will collaborate with educators and experts in data science, fire ecology, public health and environmental communication to co-design a unit on wildfires. This unit will enable students to engage in various data practices, gaining insights into the impacts of wildfires on their lives and communities.
This project directly impacts 15 middle school teachers and 1,500 middle school students in northwestern ÁùºÏ±¦µä, including those from low socioeconomic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. This research has the potential to transform how young learners understand and interact with data, especially regarding complex societal issues like wildfires. The project will demonstrate how data science can be integrated into K-12 curricula to help students use science and data to address pressing environmental issues. The goal is to prepare future citizens capable of making data-informed decisions for a just and sustainable society.
"I have been long interested in promoting meaningful science learning for all students, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse populations," Ke said. "My recent research explores science teaching and learning in the context of complex societal issues such as climate change that are relevant to students' lives. In particular, I am interested in how students make sense of both the science and social components to inform their decision-making on the underlying issues.”
The CAREER project will synergistically integrate research and education. In addition to curriculum co-design and implementation in K-12 settings, Ke plans to develop an instructional module on data-driven issue-based science teaching for his elementary methods courses. He also plans to engage the local community through family night STEM workshops, where students can present their data stories.
This CAREER award will allow Ke to explore students’ meaningful engagement in relevant disciplinary practices further. The project's outcomes will lay the foundation for future large-scale studies to explore how a data-driven, issue-based approach can better prepare responsible future citizens.
The NSF publicizes a 17% success rate in proposals for this competitive program. However, University faculty have fared much better in recent years, with success rates, on average, around 25%.
In preparing his proposal, Ke utilized the proposal planning and review services provided by Research & Proposal Development Services, part of Research & Innovation. For proposal submission assistance, submit a .
