​Trust, for me, has become something I think about much more intentionally over the past few years. Early in my teaching, I assumed that if I was prepared, knowledgeable, and fair, trust would naturally follow. What I’ve learned is that trust is built in much smaller, quieter ways, and sometimes lost just as quietly.

STEM classrooms are often places of discovery, innovation, and problem-solving. They are also spaces where pressure, performance, and perfection can quietly take a toll—on both students and educators.

In a culture that celebrates rigor and results, self-care can feel like an “extra.” But in truth, how we care for ourselves becomes a living curriculum. Students don’t just learn from what we teach—they learn from how we show up.

In the aftermath of the December 2025 shootings of the Brown University students and the MIT physics professor, Nuno FG Loureiro, former colleagues and classmates of the alleged shooter grappled to find answers.

Dear Colleagues,
As educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, we are shaping more than just technical experts—we are guiding the next generation of leaders, problem-solvers, and innovators. In today’s rapidly changing world, integrating emotional intelligence (EI) into STEM classrooms has become essential. When students feel seen, supported, and connected, they not only excel academically but also develop resilience, creativity, and the ability to collaborate across differences.

​It’s the season for giving thanks and gathering with folks… and simultaneously, it is the season for ramped up consumption and obligations, which always creates such discord in my experience of this time of year.  I want to take some time to enjoy the literal and metaphorical harvest, to cook soups and bake cookies and eat them while pleasure-reading or chatting with loved ones.  There’s also that pull of hurriedness–deadlines to meet, social events, extra tasks to do–that can accompany the holiday season. 

A colleague announced that she has a new practice she is implementing:
​“When students ask, I provide.”

​The project Compassionate STEM Education seeks to support teachers to bring compassion into the STEM Higher Education classroom. In this newsletter, I describe four reasons why compassion is important in STEM Higher education.

In recent years, educators and researchers have increasingly recognized that technical expertise alone is not enough to prepare future scientists and engineers for the complex moral and social challenges of their professions. As concerns about well-being and ethical responsibility take on greater importance in STEM, particularly with the emergence of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, there is a growing need to embrace compassion as a guiding principle in how we teach and learn. Many students struggle with stress, isolation, and a sense of disconnection in highly competitive academic environments, while faculty often face increasing pressures to balance research productivity, teaching demands, and student support. Compassion helps build inclusive classroom environments, supports student belonging, and nurtures a reflective, human-centered mindset critical for responsible innovation and professional growth.​