Project TIDES Events

The Project TIDES team and postdoctoral researchers will contribute fundamental knowledge about the science of broadening participating to support full-inclusion of all persons in STEM learning and work through a series of workshops. Details about upcoming and past workshops can be found below.

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Featured Event

History of Special Education and Disability Research: The Influence and Impact on Education

Nov. 17, 2025 | 1-3 p.m. | Zoom

Abstract: Special education and disability research have a rich history that has not only informed these fields but education and social sciences broadly. This session will provide a broad overview of the common types of research within special education followed by a discussion on how this research (and its findings) impacts education and policy for all students.

Bio: Sara Flanagan is an associate professor of special education at the University of Maine, College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Flanagan’s research and expertise focuses on Universal Design for Learning across the PK-20 education setting, literacy and technology interventions for students with and without disabilities, and teacher preparation at the in-service and pre-service levels for both. Dr. Flanagan has published numerous book chapters and articles, and presented at conferences on these topics. Dr. Flanagan is currently the past-president of the Council for Learning Disabilities and the PI for the Maine SEEDS program, which provides mentoring and support for new special education teachers in Maine. Dr. Flanagan’s work is supported through organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the Maine Department of Education.

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Conceptualizing STEM Education: From Discipline to (the) Learning Science(s)

Dec. 03, 2025 | 1-3 p.m. | Zoom

Abstract: Many different stakeholders– ranging practicing scientists to educators to policymakers– have sought to conceptualize what STEM education means and how effective educational practices can support STEM learning. In this talk, three common models for representing STEM education are presented and discussed. Disciplinary-based educational research draws on perspectives from within STEM disciplines and asks how effective educational strategies can support outcomes important to the field. The science of broadening participation seeks to ensure access to STEM learning for all students and that pathways to STEM careers are widely available. Finally, the learning sciences have often drawn on insights from an array of diverse disciplines to demonstrate how effective instructional practices and evidence-based models of student learning can shape outcomes that matter across STEM fields (& beyond).
Bio: Justin Dimmel is associate dean for academics and student engagement in the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development, where he also serves as an associate professor of mathematics education and instructional technology in the School of Learning and Teaching. Dr. Dimmel has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher education. He is the founder and director of the Immersive Mathematics in Rendered Environments (IMRE) Lab, which designs virtual and augmented reality math and science learning environments, and investigates how VR and AR technologies can transform STEM education. In addition, he led a team that developed the SunRule, an interactive sculpture that harnesses the rays of the sun to help users explore multiplication and division. The project was chosen for UMaine’s MIRTA accelerator, a program designed to advance research along the path to commercialization, turning lab innovations into real-world products and services with public benefit. In 2022, Dimmel received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the organization’s most prestigious award for early career faculty.

Disability as a Multivalent Construct: Diagnosis, Identity, and Environment in the Representation of Disabled Realities

Oct. 08, 2025

Abstract: This presentation highlights the many different ways that disability is conceptualized in social sciences research. By highlighting variations in both definition and operationalization of the term “disability” and related constructs, it becomes clear that disability is part of a complex web of meaning with clear implications both for daily life and for academic research. Moreover, by demonstrating the varying ways we can and should conceptualize disability, this presentation will highlight how inattention to various facets of disability experience can be understood as a key feature of normal social science. The presentation closes by arguing that this inattention has real and lasting consequences for how and when disabled people can receive diagnoses, think about disability as a feature of their identity, and experience constructed environments.
Bio: Ezekiel “Zeke” Kimball is Professor and Dean of the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Kimball’s research focuses on how to create the conditions for student success in PK-20 education systems. He is a leading expert on disability identity development, postsecondary STEM learning environments, and how academia leverages scholarly knowledge for social impact. Dr. Kimball’s research has resulted in 2 books and more than 75 journal articles and book chapters. His work has been supported by organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Kimball is a past editor of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.

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