Slesnick Symposium 2026
Event Details
When:
Fri, May 8, 2026, 8:30am - 6pm
Location:
In-Person at WWU:
Irwin L. Slesnick Learning Resource Center
SL 220
Price:
Free
Brought to you by:
Irwin L. Slesnick Fund, Science Math and Technology Education, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
Description
Please join us for the Annual Irwin L. Slesnick Interactive Symposium, this year's sypmosium theme is "Fostering a Sense of Belonging in STEM". This year, we are excited to welcome our guests to SMATE on Western's campus. We hope you will join us!
Schedule of Events
- 8:30-9:00 a.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Coffee
- 9:00-10:30 a.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Designing for Belonging: Instructional and Mentoring Moves for Impactful STEM Teaching
Workshop with Dr. Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy
- 10:30-11:20 a.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Every Pattern Tells a Story: Mathematics and Learning Beyond the Status Quo
Workshop with Matteo Tamburini and Kayshish Pichette-Cline
- 11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Student Panel
- 12:30-1:30 p.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Lunch
- 1:30-3:00 p.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 210 & 230
Faculty Sessions
Click here to view the faculty sessions. Attend all or choose sessions on day of event.
- 2:30-3:00 p.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Eating the Elephant – daily, weekly, and monthly ways to apply BETTER in STEM principles one bite at a time
Speaker: Caroline Hardin
- 4:00-5:00 p.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Transforming Gateway STEM Courses: From Weed-Out Structures to Impactful Learning Exosystems
Keynote speaker: Dr. Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy
- 5:00-6:00 p.m.
In-Person at Western: SL 220
Reception
Featuring:
Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy, Ph.D., is the Ron and Dr. Mary Neal Distinguished Associate Professor of Chemistry Education and the Associate Dean for Academic Innovation and Engagement within the College of Science at Louisiana State University (LSU). Formerly, she has held faculty, administrative, and professional positions at the University of Delaware, Louisiana State University, and North Carolina A&T State University. Her research investigates the persistence of individuals from all backgrounds in STEM higher education and careers. With extramural support of over $34 million from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Education, and philanthropic agencies, she has designed and implemented over 40 education projects, which have employed mentoring models that integrate identity theory and empowerment theory to create and test development structures that cultivate self-efficacy and agency. The long-term goal of this work is to advance knowledge of how to support student success in STEM and foster opportunities for others to share their work in this area. She was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2021, a fellow of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) in 2023, and a fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 2024. She was also appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Board on Higher Education and Workforce (BHEW) between 2023 and 2025. She served as the PI of the 2014 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) organizational recognition for the LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Jackson State University and her doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Louisiana State University.
Matteo Tamburini (MS, Mathematics, WWU 2009) is a husband, father of two, and a Treinel of Capoeira Angola. He has been teaching Mathematics and learning about (de-)colonization at Northwest Indian College since 2009.
He coauthored a chapter in NCTM's 2018 Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education about NWIC's evolving approach to teaching Mathematics, and has recently presented at the Northwest Mathematics Conference and the National Indian Education Association conference. The research behind this talk was funded by NSF (Award #2416024).
Kayshish Pichette-Cline is an enrolled member of the Lummi nation and a mother of two elementary age girls. Currently, Kayshish is a student at Western Washington University and plans to obtain a master’s degree in Math Education
Questions and Accommodations
- Contact Lori Torres for this event. Feel free to call (360) 650-7605 or email at Lori.Torres@wwu.edu if you have any questions or comments.
- Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is greatly appreciated. Please indicate your special needs on the registration form.
Visitor Parking at WWU on Weekdays
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: limited paid parking is available at the south C lots and north 6V and 7G lots.
- Purchase your permit at the lot pay stations or use the Parkmobile app.
- More parking details for campus visitors are available online.
Parking at WWU on Weekdays for Visitors with Disabilities
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: both a WWU permit and state disability placard are needed.
- Purchase your permit at the pay stations in lot C or 6V or use the Parkmobile app (use Zone 1200). This allows parking in any disability space. If these are full, you can use a non-reserved space nearby.
- More parking details for campus visitors with disabilities are available online.
The views expressed by our speaker do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.
