Faculty Highlight: Meet Dr. McClain

McClain has previously contributed significantly to the development of materials chemistry courses with a professor of instruction within the department of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University with a wide array of analytical techniques in chemistry, materials science, physics and x-ray diffraction. While at Northwestern University she served as a teaching assistant in their Department of Materials Science and Engineering. In addition, Becca worked with their Northwestern’s prison education program to assist both tutors and the development of course work for students involved with the program. She has also served as board member with the Graduate Liaison Committee and Service Chair with Phi Lambda Upsilon, both at Northwestern University. These unique experiences have given her an ability to adapt to institutional circumstances and to cultivate an environment for student success, provide important feedback for a large number students, facilitate faculty-student interaction and enhance overall graduate student experiences.

During this appointment she will bring her developments in pedagogical training gained from programs with the NSF-funded Center for Integrated Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) at an associate level. From her knowledge in the development of course materials relating to many facets of materials science, her understanding of the importance of students’ academic confidence blends with her materials chemistry background. By facilitating dialogue of real-world examples in materials science and engineering courses, Dr. McClain intends to provide students a safe environment to develop their problem-solving skills, science literacy and self-efficacy.

Her interests include evidence-based undergraduate STEM teaching, promoting science literacy, and assisting students in building up their academic confidence.

McClain relishes the opportunity to present science – a subject that can be intimidating – in an accessible and engaging manner by featuring multiple modalities in class, frequently using real-world examples and incorporating individual student interests. Through the approachability of the course content and her course atmosphere, her goal as an assistant professor of instruction is to provide her students a safe environment to develop their problem-solving skills, science literacy and self-efficacy. These priorities will help students not only with her courses and their other college classes, but also align with UT Dallas’ mission to give students the skills that will prepare them for a rewarding life and future endeavors.