Professor, International STEM and Bilingual/ELL Education
Phone: 903.566.7448
Email: tkennedy@uttyler.edu
Building: BEP 229F
Department: Education
Teresa J. Kennedy
Education
Title: Professor, International STEM and Bilingual/ELL Education; Oceanography
Department: Education
Building: BEP 229F
Email: tkennedy@uttyler.edu
Phone: 903.566.7448
Degrees
- Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy, University of Idaho
Curriculum and Instruction—Bilingual Science Education
Concentration: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) focus on content-based foreign language/ESL/ELL pedagogy in Earth Science.
- Phi Delta Kappa International Outstanding Dissertation Award, 1998 (District 1 Competition: Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Saskatchewan, and Washington State). Dissertation Title: "FLES: The cognitive and attitudinal effects of content-related foreign language instruction in the elementary school." Focus on teaching and learning a second language through STEM disciplines.
- M.O. - Master of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO)
- M.A. - Master of Art, Spanish Language and Literature, University of Idaho
College of Letters and Science
- B.A. - Bachelor of Art, Spanish Language and Literature, University of Idaho
College of Letters and Science- Cognates: French, International Studies.
- B.S. - Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education, University of Idaho
Teaching Certifications: Idaho, Oregon, Washington.- Secondary Teaching Certification: 7-12 Earth Science, Natural Science, Social Studies and Spanish.
- Elementary Teaching Certification: All subjects K-8; K-6 Spanish; K-12 Bilingual Education; K-12 English as a Second Language (ESL/ELL).
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- International Studies/Experiences
- Countries Visited through work and educational experiences: 107 countries and 2 U.S. Territories.
- Educational Programs Completed: Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain (1982-83); Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito, Ecuador (1993); Universidad del País Vasco, San Sebastián, Spain (1999).
- Fulbright Awards:
- Ecuador (1993); Argentina (2014-15); Hungary (2017).
- Ecuador (1993); Argentina (2014-15); Hungary (2017).
- Oceanographic Research and related Activities
- Co-led the production of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Ocean Decade Manual for Non-governmental Organizations (2024) while serving as Co-Chair of the UNESCO IOC Ocean Decade NGO Task Group.
- Advancing Ocean Sustainability for Climate-Resistent Change
- National Science Teaching Association & National Marine Educators Association joint position statement on The Importance of Teaching and Learning about the Ocean (2025) (contributing writing team member).
- GO-SHIP A13.5 CTD Watchstander, February-March 2024 (this research cruise transited from Cape Verde to the Gulf
of Ghana, followed by gathering data along the A13.5 south to near Bouvet Island,
completing 113 stations and traveling over 6,000 km). Science team from NOAA Pacific
Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), Earth and Space Research (ESR), Scripts Institution
of Oceanography San Diego, among others.
- My duties: Tasked with operating the CTD (a "package" of electronic devices that detect how the conductivity and temperature of water changes relative to depth) computer console using measurements to direct the winch operator throughout casts to collect the ship's water samples by remotely closing bottles on the CTD rosette at 24 predetermined depths; organized and monitored eight analysts taking water samples; served as a member of the scientific research team sampling salinity as well as nitrate and seawater isotope composition; coordinated blog communications; and assisted with the school outreach component of the GO-BGC Adopt-a-Float program.
- Vessel: R/V Marcus G. Langseth - National Science Foundation (NSF) ship (235ft.) operated by Columbia University's
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) with NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
(PMEL) and Scripps Institute of Oceanography. 2024 GO-SHIP A13.5
- Verhoef FL50 Aluminium Freefall Lifeboat Droptests, Verhoef Aluminium Scheepsbouw Industries, Aalsmeer, Netherlands, 2013. University
of Texas at Tyler College of Engineering research on deformation and acceleration
force of Verhoef Free-Fall Lifeboats.
- My duties: Conducted sensor placement in lifeboats on platform (40 meters/131 feet high) prior to drop testing.
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- NOAA Teacher at Sea Scholar: May-June 2001 (San Diego, California to near Newport, Oregon, and across the Pacific
to Honolulu, Hawaii). Science team from NASA, NOAA, and Knudsen Engineering (Canada).
- My duties: Conducted research on phytoplankton blooms along the California coast, observed CTD deck operations, and assisted with testing the effectiveness of a new echo sounder model while recording digital tracking data of the Ocean floor.
- Vessel: R/V Ocean Seeker - Ka'imimoana - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship (224 ft.) dedicated to climate research, and studying Ocean currents and marine ecosystems through its support of NOAA's Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean (TAO) Project.
- NOAA Teacher at Sea Scholar: May-June 2001 (San Diego, California to near Newport, Oregon, and across the Pacific
to Honolulu, Hawaii). Science team from NASA, NOAA, and Knudsen Engineering (Canada).
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Kennedy joined The University of Texas at Tyler in 2009. She is a Professor of
STEM and Bilingual/ELL Education and holds a joint appointment in the College of Education
and Psychology School of Education and in the College of Engineering. She has 37 years
of experience in higher education (since 1988). Her K-12 teaching experience includes
8 years at the secondary level and 7 years at the elementary/middle school level in
Idaho, Oregon and Washington, with secondary teaching certifications in Earth Science
and Natural Science, Social Studies, Spanish, English as a Second Language and Bilingual
Education, and elementary certification in all subject areas (since 1985). She has
taught language, science, and social studies lessons in classrooms around the world.
CURRENT BOARD POSITIONS:
International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICoRSA) Advisory Board: 2024-present.
International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) Executive Committee: 2010-present. Serve as ICASE Representative to UNESCO.
International Education and Resource Network (iEARN-USA) Advisory Council: 2021-2025.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) NGO Liaison Committee: 2023-2024; 2022-2023; 2016-2018. Served as Vice President of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee and as their Liaison
to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) for the United Nations Decade
of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2023-2024); Co-chair of the IOC Ocean
Decade NGO Task Group (2023-present).
COURSES TAUGHT AT UT TYLER:
UNDERGRADUATE
College of Arts and Sciences
GEOL 3314 – Oceanography and Meteorology
College of Education and Psychology
ELED 4360/5300 – Teaching English Language Learners
EDUT 4170 – Apprentice Teaching Seminar
EDUC 4199 – Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) Internship
EDUC 4199 – Global Education
EDUC 4334 – Methods for Teaching Elementary English Language Learners
EDUC 4360 – ESL Methodology
EDUC 4378 – Methods for Teaching Secondary English Language Learners
GRADUATE
College of Education and Psychology
EDUC 5301 – Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences
EDUC 5306 – Special Topics in Education: Methods for Teaching K-12 ELLs
EDUC 5306 – Special Topics in Education: Grad Teach Diversity & Special Populations
EDUC 5306 – Special Topics in Education: Current Innovations in Education
EDUC 5352 – Curriculum Foundations
EDUC 5356 – Diversity in Educational Settings
EDSI 6322 – Culturally Responsive Practices for School Improvement
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
Dr. Kennedy’s diverse research interests span biological and geological oceanography
in the context of climate change; Ocean Literacy; international comparative education;
and fostering interest and competencies in STEM and 21st century skills. She is also
deeply engaged in exploring gender and equity issues in STEM, content-based second
language teaching and learning with STEM disciplines, and the intersection of brain
research with second language acquisition and bilingualism. She has won over $38 million
in grants, contracts and development (over 5 million of which has occurred during
her tenure at UT Tyler).
She has presented at more than 450 events and co-edited three international science education books for Springer International (Switzerland): Science Education in Theory and Practice, consisting of 32 chapters (44 authors representing 14 countries); Play and STEM Education in the Early Years: International Policies and Practices, consisting of 22 chapters (47 authors from 16 countries); and Contemporary Issues in Science and Technology Education, consisting of 21 chapters (32 authors representing 11 countries). Additionally, she has authored/co-authored over 20 book chapters, over 50 journal
articles and features, and over 50 proceedings and reports. She was a writer as well
as editor for more than 300 GLOBE STAR stories and various reports and web pages published on NASA's GLOBE Program website from 2003-2012,
and also co-narrated a NASA Connect Video (The A-Train Express Satellites) filmed in 2004 in Paris in collaboration with the French Space Agency (CNES), highlighting
two of NASA's Earth science satellite missions (CALIPSO and CloudSat). In addition,
she served as the editor for seven issues of Learning Languages, the professional journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning from 2002-2005. Her publications have been included in journals such as Springer Nature; Science Education International; Education Sciences; the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning; Frontiers in Education; The Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice; The American Journal of Biomedical Science and Research; The International House Journal; Children, Youth and Environment; the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) Navigator; Teaching Children Mathematics; The Journal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; The Journal of Interactive Online Learning; NWATE Journal of Education Practices; Brain and Language; the International Reading Association; The Reading Teacher; ACTFL Foreign Language Annuals; The Language Educator; Learning Languages; TESOL; Hispania; Sino-US English Teaching; the TexELT Journal; and in several NASA publications and different international venues such as the
Impreso en la República Argentina; la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú; Spain's Ministry of Education Magazine; and the World Meteorological Organization Magazine (Switzerland).
ADDITIONAL POSITIONS HELD AT UT TYLER:
Dr. Kennedy established UT Tyler's Office of International Programs (OIP) in January
2013 and served as Assistant Vice President for International Programs and Senior
International Officer for UT Tyler leading all OIP operations from July 2013-May 2017.
During that time, her responsibilities included creating and managing several cross-functional
OIP units (Study Abroad; International Services; and International Research and Engagement);
serving as Principal Designated School Official for F Visa Student Program activities
and Responsible Officer for the J Visa Exchange Visitor Program working with the U.S.
Department of State Student Exchange and Visitor Program, and expanding international
collaborations for UT Tyler by establishing 17 new international partnership agreements
with universities abroad. In addition, Dr. Kennedy established and led UT Tyler's
Passport Acceptance Facility working with the U.S. Department of State Passport Services
(September 2015-October 2017) and also created and directed UT Tyler's Intensive English
Language Institute (IELI) for the School of Education (January 2013-December 2017).
Prior to founding the OIP, she was assigned to assist the Provost's Office with international
recruitment and marketing (September 2010-July 2013). Dr. Kennedy spent the summer
of 2017 transitioning out of the OIP in order to resume her teaching, research and
service activities.
PAST POSITIONS:
Past positions include serving in several different capacities for NASA's GLOBE Program at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) from 2001-2012, responsible
for facilitating activities in 112 GLOBE partner countries working with NASA's Office
of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) and the U.S. Department of State.
Positions included serving as Director of the GLOBE Program Office International Division
and U.S. Country Coordinator (2009-2012 located on the University of Texas at Tyler
campus); GLOBE Deputy Director / Director of the International Division and U.S. Country
Coordinator (2006-2009 located at UCAR in Boulder, Colorado); and GLOBE Deputy Chief
Educator and Assistant Director of U.S. Partnerships (2001-2003 at the former GLOBE
headquarters office in Washington D.C.). She also managed all activities related to
the GLOBE International Help Desk as well as Star historical summaries posted to the
GLOBE website from 2003-2012. Dr. Kennedy continues to serve as a GLOBE Master Trainer
(1996-present), and also co-directs The University of Texas at Tyler GLOBE U.S. Partnership (2009-present), responsible for recruiting, training and mentoring K-12 teachers
and university pre-service education students to implement GLOBE activities with their
students in East Texas.
Prior to her position at UCAR, she was an Associate Research Professor of Education at the University of Idaho where she founded a bilingual/foreign language science education program, and also served as the NASA Broker Facilitator for the State of Idaho, the director of the NASA Regional Educator's Resource Center for the College of Engineering NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium, and led the Center for Evaluation, Research and Public Service for the College of Education facilitating faculty in identifying and developing potential grant and evaluation projects. In addition, she served as an adjunct professor for Washington State University, the University of Alabama, and Tillamook Bay Community College in Oregon.