Gallaher appointed to science standards recommendation committee
UCM |
Kent Gallaher, director of Lipscomb University's biomolecular science graduate program, has been appointed to the state Science Standards Recommendations Committee by Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville). The committee is charged with developing recommendations for new science standards for K-12 schools. Recent legislation outlined a process for a full review of all academic standards for K-12 schools in Tennessee. The review committee held their first meeting at the end of May.
“I want to thank Dr. Gallaher for being willing to serve in this capacity,” said Harwell, a 1978 Lipscomb graduate. “This review process is critical in developing academic standards that will ensure our students succeed in a post-secondary environment or career. Dr. Gallaher’s expertise in curriculum development and knowledge in the field of science makes him uniquely qualified to serve on this committee. He will be an excellent addition, and an important voice, throughout this process.”
A native Tennessean, Gallaher also serves as professor of biology and chair of Lipscomb's Department of Biology, housed in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. He holds a doctorate in plant science from the University of Tennessee, and a B.S. in chemistry from Lipscomb University. Gallaher has built a career in the area of curriculum design and new program development, and has designed or consulted on science curriculum at several universities.
"I was honored to serve on this committee. My oldest son will begin his career as a middle school science teacher next fall, so the work had a personal dimension for me. The process has been open and transparent and our new standards were built from scratch. They are rigorous and will make Tennessee a leader in science education,” said Gallaher.
Gallaher has traveled widely and has consulted on sustainability projects in a number of developing nations in Central America and Africa, most recently the island nation of Madagascar. He has received several professional awards including the Teaching Award of Merit, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (2006); a Lipscomb University Difference Maker Award (2009) and the Outstanding Teacher Award, Lipscomb University, (1999 and 2013).
He is a member of the Association of Environmental Sciences and Studies, Tennessee Academy of Science, Tennessee Association of Science Department Chairs, Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, American Society of Agronomy, Gamma Sigma Delta ( Honor Society of Agriculture - Graduate) and Delta Tau Alpha (Honor Society of Agriculture – Undergraduate).
For more information regarding the Science Standards Review Committee, including agendas and meeting times, please visit https://www.tn.gov/sbe/
Harwell serves as Speaker of the House, a position to which she was first unanimously elected in 2011. She is the first female Speaker of the House in Tennessee, and in the Southeast. Harwell represents part of Davidson County in the Tennessee General Assembly.
For more information about Lipscomb's Department of Biology, visit biology.lipscomb.edu.