Research Philosophy & Focus

The Vincent-Ruz Lab’s work in Chemistry Education Research is grounded in four core principles:

  1. Equity and Justice must be at the center of any education research endeavor.

  2. Researcher-practitioner collaborations are essential for developing evidence-based, actionable approaches that can be broadly implemented by instructors and benefit a department’s learning goals.

  3. The strategic application of rigorous methodologies is paramount for the meaningful study of students’ experiences.

  4. Strong theories of underlying mechanisms will advance our understanding of how people learn chemistry.

As a part of New Mexico State University, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), our research agenda is deeply influenced by our commitment to supporting Latine students. In response to the critical imperative of addressing underrepresentation and educational debt among Latine students in STEM fields, our work endeavors to develop servingness-centered and evidence-based pedagogies in the chemistry classroom.

While existing research on HSIs focuses on defining servingness at the organizational level, there has been limited discussion on how this is operationalized in STEM classrooms in terms of pedagogy and practice. In contrast, active learning has been extensively studied and advocated for in STEM education, encompassing a wide range of instructional strategies that prioritize dynamic student involvement, collaborative participation, and experiential learning. However, conflicting evidence remains regarding students’ perceptions of learning, barriers to implementation, and the effectiveness of these strategies in bridging educational disparities.

We posit that true servingness-centered pedagogies should emphasize not only academic achievement but also the integration of students’ Latine cultural heritage into the framework of science education within the classroom. The concept of Border Crossing, which pertains to how individuals navigate conflicts and pressures brought about by existing in two distinct cultures concurrently, should be actively facilitated in the STEM classroom to support Latine students in integrating their cultural and STEM identities.

Our long-term goal is to design, implement, and evaluate a novel, culturally responsive introductory chemistry curriculum and interventions that enable student border crossing. Additionally, we are committed to increasing support for multilingual students and first-generation college students, recognizing their unique challenges and contributions. By focusing on these areas, we strive to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment that reflects NMSU’s mission and serves the diverse student population we are proud to educate.