New Board Elected at Annual Meeting
CESE held its 2018 Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 23rd, 2018. The meeting included a vote on the new slate. This year's board members are listed on the Board Roster page. After remarks by outgoing president Jesse Johnson, and incoming president Ken Whiton, NCSE's Glenn Branch gave the keynote.
Outgoing president Jesse Johnson addressed the audience. He described the past year's major accomplishments. |
Incoming president Ken Whiton talked about CESE's plans for the coming year. |
Board member Lisa Durkin was given a special award to acknowledge her years of effort on behalf of CESE. |
Lisa Durkin's plaque. It reads : |
Kim Johnson introduced keynote speaker Glenn Branch. |
Kim presented Glen Branch with a plaque recognizing his efforts supporting opposition to NM PED's anti-science standards in the fall of 2017. |
Glenn Branch's plaque reads In Recognition of |
Glenn Branch spoke on the topic"Why Is It So Hard to Teach Evolution and Climate Change?" |
Glenn described anti-science efforts across the nation, and the efforts to oppose politicization of evolution and climate change. |
Several members of the CESE board joined Glenn Branch for dinner at El Pinto. |
2018 Annual Meeting, June 23rd: Glenn Branch
We are pleased to announce that Glenn Branch, Deputy Director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) will be the keynote speaker for our 2018 CESE membership meeting. Glenn has written extensively on issues of teaching evolution and climate change. He was instrumental in getting national press for the attempted weakening and politicization of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by the PED. Glenn will answer the question;
Why Is It So Hard to Teach Evolution and Climate Change?
Saturday, June 23, 2018
1:30 PM
The UNM Anthropology Lecture Hall
FREE and open to the public
Directions: From Central and University, go north on University until you get to Las Lomas. Turn right, then right into the parking lot. The lecture will take place in the Anthropology building lecture hall, immediately south of the parking lot. Parking is free on Saturdays. We look forward to seeing you there.
A brief business meeting will follow Glenn's talk.
The May 2018 Beacon is Here!
The latest issue of the Beacon, for May 2018, is out, and it's a big issue! It includes a President’s Message from Jesse Johnson. In "What Will the Candidates for Governor do to comply with the A-B-C-D-F Schools Rating Act?", three candidates responded to our survey, and the Beacon shows what they think about state-required teacher evaluations. We celebrate our State 
Science Fair Winners. A Toon by Dave Thomas looks at PARCC. Editor Becky Reiss contributed a piece titled "My Genes, Your Genes Your Genes, we All Have the Same Genes." And the Beacon announces our upcoming Annual Meeting, featuring a keynote address by Glenn Branch of NCSE.
You can catch up on past issues of the Beacon here.
Etscorn to keynote CESE Annual Meeting on June 24th, 2017
Dr. Etscorn at the Socorro March for Science
Dr. Etscorn giving the commencement speech at New Mexico Tech, May 2017.
CESE’s 20th annual meeting will be on June 24th, 1:30 pm at the UNM Anthropology department lecture hall. Our featured speaker is Dr. Frank Etscorn, the award-winning inventor of the nicotine patch. The critical discoveries that lead to the 1986 patent Transcutaneous Application of Nicotine were made while he was mentoring students as a Professor of Psychology at New Mexico Tech in Socorro. He will discuss a subject very near to our prime mission: Never Give Up on a Student. We think you will be entertained and enlightened by Dr. Etscorn. There will also be a brief business meeting and election of officers.
Saturday, June 24, 
2017, 1:30 PM
"Never Give Up on a Student"
The UNM Anthropology Lecture Hall
FREE and open to the public
Directions: From Central and University, go north on University until you get to Las Lomas. Turn right, then right into the parking lot. The lecture will take place in the Anthropology buliding lecture hall, immediately south of the parking lot. Parking is free on Saturdays. We look forward to seeing you there.
Large Crowd hears Lawrence Krauss Speak
UNM's Maxwell Lecture Hall was filled to capacity for Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss's appearance at the CESE Annual Meeting on June 25th, 2016. It was a memorable event. Here follow some photos of the goings-on.
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A 275+ crowd is ready to hear Dr. Krauss (front, hat). |
| Outgoing president Lisa Durkin addresses the crowd. The membership approved the new slate of officers for CESE: President: Jessica McCord; Vice-president/president elect: Jesse Johnson; Secretary: Dave Thomas; and Treasurer: Steve Brugge. |  |
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Dr. Krauss discussed several topics in physics and cosmology, including the Cosmic Microwave Background (shown), and the importance of the recent detection of the gravitational waves predicted by Einstein. |
| A lively question-and-answer period followed the talk. |  |
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Dr. Krauss signed dozens of books, and graciously obliged requests for photographs as well. |
| At a post-meeting gathering at Bruno's, outgoing secretary Marilyn Savitt-Kring (left) received a plaque of appreciation for her many years of service as CESE's secretary. The award was presented by Lisa Durkin; Mark Fraser is on the right. |  |
Lawrence Krauss to speak at 1:30 PM Saturday, June 25th, for the CESE Annual Meeting!
Mark your calendars for 1:30 PM on Saturday, June 25th. The keynote speaker for CESE's annual meeting, Lawrence Krauss, will be speaking on
“Gravity Waves: a Journey to the Beginning of Time.”
Location: Maxwell Museum of Anthropology Lecture Hall.
Time: 1:30 PM Saturday, June 25th, 2016.
Free and open to the public!
There will also be a short business meeting and election of CESE's proposed Slate of Officers for 2016-2017:
- President: Jessica McCord
- Vice-president: Jesse Johnson
- Secretary: Dave Thomas
- Treasurer: Steve Brugge
- plus the board members-at-large
New Slate Elected at CESE 2015 Annual Meeting
Lisa Durkin
A new slate of officers for the year 2015-2016 was nominated and elected at CESE's Annual Meeting (June 27th, 2015). Leading CESE for the next year is new president Lisa Durkin.
Jessica McCord
The vice-president/ president- elect for this year is Jessica McCord. Steve Brügge will continue as treasurer, and Marilyn Savitt-Kring is staying on as secretary. Other CESE board members are Marshall Berman, Cindy Chapman, Terry Dunbar, Patty Finley, Jack Jekowski, Jesse Johnson, Kim Johnson, Becky Reiss, Dave Thomas, and Ken Whiton. Jerry Shelton asked to change his status to board member emeritus, which gives him all privileges except voting rights.
CESE thanks outgoing president Patty Finley for a fine year of service at the helm.
Jerry and Nancy Shelton were honored with plaques commemorating their years of service to CESE.
At the meeting, which was held at the home of Buzz and Patty Finley, long-time CESE supporters Jerry and Nancy Shelton were given plaques honoring their years of service with CESE.
Earlier in June, CESE treasurer Steve Brügge was also given a CESE plaque on the occasion of his retirement from teaching.
In addition to the certificate below, Steve also got a copy adorned with salutory comments on his teaching, from an online Albuquerque Journal story.
Steve Brügge's award
Jack Jekowski (left) and Kim Johnson (middle) present a CESE award to treasurer Steve Brügge
CESE Annual Meeting set for Saturday, June 27!
You are cordially invited to CESE's Annual Meeting!
We will meet at the Los Lunas home of Buzz and Patty Finley on Saturday, June 27th, at 1:30 PM. The Business Meeting will be followed by an open discussion on the Impacts of Education Reform.
From Albuquerque & points north: South on I-25 to Los Lunas exit (Hwy 6). East on NM Hwy 6 to Los Lentes Rd (McDonalds at corner). North on Los Lentes Rd. to 2000 block (about 1.5 miles); Turn right onto Macario Lane, cross irrigation ditch and curve right. House is first behind adobe wall, 912.
On Google Maps: 912 Macario Ln, Los Lunas, NM 87031.
Please RSVP to Marilyn Savitt-Kring, at 505-856-6654.
See you there!
2014 Annual Meeting Minutes are Posted!
Click here to read the minutes of the 2014 Annual Meeting (June 7th). Comments from out-going president Terry Dunbar, and from in-coming president Patty Finley; election of slate for 2013-2014; presentation of award, general discussion.
Want more Annual Meeting Minutes? Click here!
CESE Comments on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
CESE President Terry Dunbar, on behalf of the Coalition, has written Education Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera a letter regarding New Mexico's adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards. His January 6th letter can be read in its entirety here.
Here follow some points from Terry's letter:
The Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education (CESE) recommends that New Mexico adopt the Next Generation Science Standards for the following reasons:
NGSS standards are a comprehensive set of guidelines for the teaching of science that will be indispensible for teachers, administrators, and for those at the district and state level who wish to improve classroom teaching and learning in science. ...
Implementation of NGSS in New Mexico
If we are to achieve the ambitious and dynamic vision described in the NGSS and accompanying documents, considerable resources will have to be generated at the district and state level. No standards or curriculum can achieve change in the classroom by itself. The “taught curriculum” even now differs dramatically from the written curriculum and standards. To achieve change in the classroom, many issues must be addressed. Among these are curriculum writing, professional development for science teachers, coordination with teacher training programs, buying and upgrading science supplies and equipment.
The writers of NGSS included recognition of the massive systemic culture change necessary to successfully implement broad changes in actual science classroom practice. They cited the challenges for teachers posed by students who vary widely in demographic background, language ability, level of preparation, work habits, parental expectations, etc. Teachers will need a level of support considerably higher than that which now exists in order to embrace and faithfully implement NGSS.
CESE recommends the adoption of NGSS. Our organization of scientists, engineers, teachers, statisticians, curriculum writers, and concerned citizens stands ready to assist in any way we can to see that the rollout of these world-class standards is successful.
Sincerely,
Terry Dunbar, Ph.D.
President, CESE
The full document, including detailed comments on features of the NGSS, is available here.