Nicole Stumblingbear was one of only 12 undergraduate students to be awarded a North Carolina Space Grant scholarship in STEM Pre-Service Teacher Education. Scholarships are for the 2018-2019 academic year and are aimed specifically at students enrolled in teacher education programs.  Nicole is majoring in both Science Education and Biology at UNC Pembroke. The Coordinator of the UNCP program in Undergraduate Science Education, Dr. Mary Ash, praised Nicole's grant writing skills, which landed the NC Space Grant.  Space Grant scholars enjoy many NASA opportunities, including professional seminars and on-site STEM instruction at the NASA Langley Research Center.  

Nicole has a head start in STEM research, having spent last summer doing research in Dr. Ben Bahr’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Lab.  She was one of only three students who gave an oral presentation during the RISE Program’s End-of-Summer Research Symposium this past August. More than 20 students presented research posters during the symposium.

Read what Nicole has to say about her career goals in education:

My teaching focus is to provide STEM education to all types of students. When I graduate from UNCP, I will have teaching licenses for Science Education and Special Education. I believe that Special Needs students are underrepresented in STEM fields and that opportunities to increase their presence need to be created.  My long-term goal is to work at the university level, giving instructional support to STEM professors, and creating modifications to give research experiences to students with disabilities.