People

Faculty

Afra Hersi, Ph.D. 

Dean, School of Education 
Professor, Literacy Teacher Education 
Beatty Hall, 121-6 
410-617-2546 
ahersi@loyola.edu 

Timothy B. P. Clark 

Ph.D. University of Albany, SUNY
Associate Professor 
Commutative Algebra, Algebraic Combinatorics 
Knott Hall 316B 
410-617-5088 
tbclark@loyola.edu

Stacy Williams 

Chair, Teacher Education Department
Clinical Instructor 
Beatty Hall 118B
410-617-2756 
sawilliams@loyola.edu

All Faculty

• Teacher Education Department
• Mathematics Department

STEM Educators

Arden

Arden is a 2018 Loyola University Maryland graduate who completed her bachelor’s degree in statistics with a minor in business. She will complete her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in May 2021; her secondary certification is in math. Arden grew up in Friendswood, Texas, and says she decided to become a STEM educator because she wants to help get students excited about math: “There’s this negative connotation around math that helps attribute to math anxiety in so many people, from the time people are school-aged that stay with them beyond that. I would love to combat that math anxiety. Math is an exciting subject area that, once mastered, can make people become more critical and analytical thinkers—which makes people more well-rounded.” Arden chose to pursue her master’s degree at Loyola because of her positive educational experience as an undergraduate student. “When I was deciding to go back to school and pursue my master’s, I knew Loyola was the place I wanted to go. It’s filled with so many positive and intelligent educators. I knew I wanted to be trained by the best in order to become a great educator myself.”

Holly

Holly is from Parkville, Md., and will graduate from Loyola’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in May 2021. Her secondary certification is in biology. “I chose to be a STEM educator because for me, learning science provided a new way of thinking about the world,” she explains. “Science and the STEM fields in general are all about asking questions, identifying problems, and finding ways to solve those problems or curiosities. I want to help students realize the power they have to better the world through their wonderings, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.” Holly’s teachers in high school, who were graduates of Loyola, led to her choosing Loyola’s MAT program to pursue her goals. “My teachers were passionate, charismatic, and caring educators,” she says, “and I chose Loyola because I knew they could prepare me to be the same.” Loyola is currently preparing Holly as an educator by providing support in school placement, providing instruction on how to incorporate disciplinary literacy and equitable learning experiences, and providing valuable information about the realities of teaching and the hiring process.

Riley

Originally from Suffield, Conn., Riley says that being an educator allows her to share her enthusiasm for science while helping her students find their love for it. She is currently a student in Loyola’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program with a secondary certification in biology. She will graduate in May 2021. “When looking at MAT programs, I was drawn to Loyola's emphasis on academic excellence, reflective practices, ethical leadership, and social justice in education. These values are important to me because being a teacher is more than standing in front of a group of students and imparting knowledge. Loyola’s coursework revolves around these core ideas and is integrated regularly to learn these best practices, helping me become the best educator I can be.” Her inspiration for becoming a STEM educator were the female STEM teachers she had throughout her middle and high school years who pushed her to pursue an undergraduate degree in biology. “Science is a content area that impacts your daily life, and students need to have an understanding of what is happening around them to make the best decisions for themselves and others”. For Riley, being a STEM educator is hands-on and exploratory, so she has the opportunity to learn alongside her students on a daily basis as they make discoveries and ask questions.