Neal Grandgenett, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Neal Grandgenett, Ph.D., is the Lois G. Roskens Dean of the UNO College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS). He is a former Associate Dean, STEM Community Chair, and a Professor of Mathematics Education. He is a CEHHS Alumni with a BS and MS from UNO, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Iowa State. He has been a long-time UNO servant leader, co-leading shared efforts such as the campus STEM Initiative, the review and restructuring of the Office of Research and Creative Activity, and the development of various dual-degree pathways. He is a successful researcher with a large body of publications and presentations. He is a successful grant writer with over $24M in funded grants, often involving interdisciplinary teams and junior faculty. He is particularly successful with NSF external funding, with grants crossing five different NSF programs, and he is on their national advisory board for Improving Undergraduate STEM Education. He has participated deeply in teaching, creating new courses, and has taught 202 course sections. Dr. Grandgenett’s service leadership efforts have included co-creating new structures that support synergistic teaching, research, and service, often partnering within the community, such as with the UNO STEM TRAIL Center.

Teaching Interests

Educational ResearchImprovement of InstructionSTEM Instruction and InnovationMethods of Teaching MathematicsResearch Design, Statistics

Research Interests

Data Driven Decision Making in P16 Education LeadershipTechnology-based learning environmentsTechnological Pedagogical Content KnowledgeMathematical Reasoning and Problem Based LearningEvaluation of Educational Projects and Initiatives

Service Summary

Dr. Neal Grandgenett has been highly active in serving the community, as well in service at the state, national and international level. He has also been the investigator or co-investigator on sixteen grant projects funded by the National Science Foundation, and has helped to evaluate 30 STEM education projects for the NSF as a program evaluator. He is also on NSF's Board for the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources program. Dr. Grandgenett's teaching, research, and service efforts at UNO have resulted in various awards, including the NU Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award, the UNO Strategic Planning Award, the UNO Chancellor's Medal, the Alumni Teaching Award, the UNO Distinguished Research and Creativity Award, the Peter Kiewit Professorship, the Paul Kennedy Diamond Professorship, the Nebraska Technology Professor of the Year Award, and the NASA Mission Home Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Mathematics.

Awards and Honors

The Dr. George and Sally Haddix Community Chair in STEM Education, Leadership - 2010

The UNO Chancellor’s Medal, Service, University - 2010

NU Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award, Teaching - 2016

Kellogg Foundation Community-University Engagement Award, Leadership - 2016

Lifetime Achievement Award, Leadership - 2013

Education

Ph D, Iowa State University, Curriculum and Instruction

MS, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Math Education

BS, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Education

Selected Publications

Grandgenett, Nealy. 2007. (2006-07) Published Chapter in AACTE Handbook on Technology in Teacher Education.

Grandgenett, Nealy, Edick, Nancy, Boocker, David, Ali, Hesham, Hodge, Angie, Dorn, Brian, Cutucache, Christine. 2015. Community Chairs as a Catalyst for Campus Collaboration, Metropolitan Universities Journal, 26, 1, 52-72.

Nugent, Gwen, Barker, Brad, Welch, Greg, Grandgenett, Nealy, Wu, ChaoRong, Nelson, Carl. 2016. A Model of Factors Contributing to STEM Learning and Career Orientation, Internal Journal of Science Education, 37, 7, 1067-1088.

Grandgenett, Nealy, Perry, Pam, Pensabene, Thomas, Wegner, Karen, Nirenberg, Robert, Pilcher, Phil, Otterpohl, Candy. 2018. Building automation and the contextualization of information Technology: The journey of a midwestern community college in the U.S., Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6, 2, 149-159.

Grandgenett, Nealy, Harris, Judi, Hofer, Mark. 2009. Grounded technology integration in mathematics, Learning and Leading with Technology, 37, 3, 24-26.

Externally Funded Research

BODYMODELS: Biomechanics to Offer Diverse Young Minds Opportunities to Develop, Explore, and Learn STEM, National Science Foundation, Federal, 01/01/2018 - 12/31/2021

Department, College, and University

Chancellor's Transition Council, Committee Member, This committee helped to inform the transition process for the new Chancellor at UNO, as they ramped up into the UNO position and also articulated efforts with the University of Nebraska Medical Center., 08/01/2017 - present

Office of STEM Education, Committee Chair, 09/01/2009 - present

(2006-07) Member of The Nebraska NASA Grant / EPSCORE Advisory Board, Committee Member, I was a member of The Nebraska NASA Grant / EPSCORE Advisory Board and Outreach Committee. This group goes across the NU system and we review proposals for NASA/EPSCORE and Seed money funding. I am the UNO representative. The group meets twice per year. - present

NASA Nebraska Epscore Advisory Committee, Committee Member, This group goes across the NU system and we review efforts of the NASA/EPSCORE and Seed money funding for Space Grant related activities., 06/01/2009 - present

UNMC and UNO E-Learning Partnership, Committee Member, This committee is a joint UNMC and UNO effort to get UNO graduate and undergraduate students to get involved in the UNMC-UNO collaborative E-Learning uBEATS efforts., 11/01/2017 - present

Professional

NASA Earth & Space Science Product Review, Reviewer, Textbook, This is the NASA review process for giving the "stamp of NASA approval" for NASA curriculum materials., 01/01/2015 - present

Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education, Organization Member, This organization holds frequent conference related to the use of computers in teaching and learning., 01/01/2005 - present

NASA EPSCoR Review, Reviewer, Grant Proposal, This review process involved examining scientific research proposals for NASA EPSCoR, 12/07/2015 - present

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Organization Member, I am a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and regularly attend conferences., 01/01/2005 - present

Software Review Editor, Mathematics and Computer Education, Editor, Associate Editor, This activity consists of editing and coordinating software reviews for publication in the journal's quarterly issues and the periodic writing of quarterly software reviews, 01/01/1990 - present

Community

The Omaha Citywide STEM Ecosystem, Committee Chair, 02/01/2016 - present

NU STEM Network, Other, 01/01/2013 - present

Informational Talks for Educational Robotics, Program Coordinator, 01/01/2012 - present

Secondary Mathematics Workshop Facilitator, Discussant, 01/01/2015 - present

High Ability Learners Robotics Workshop, Workshop Organizer, 07/11/2013 - present

Media Contributions

Internet Publication, Spotlight: STEM Education at UNO, This videoclip and Internet description showcased UNO STEM and particularly efforts in our TED STEM coursework. It can be accessed at: http://www.unomaha.edu/news/2014/01/homepage/spotlight-on-stem.php, 01/21/2014

Internet Publication, Nebraska Loves Public Schools, I worked with the Nebraska Loves Public Schools Team to showcase our UNO Robotics Efforts. This clip can be found at: http://www.nelovesps.org/watchnow?TN=PROJECT-20130226111910, 04/01/2013

Magazine, UNO Magazine - STEM Wear, This article described my UNO work with UNL on wearable technologies, and our NSF work., 11/01/2015

Magazine, UNO Magazine - UNO STEM Chairs Standing Tall, This media feature was about the UNO STEM Community Chairs, and was in the UNO Magazine Fall 2015 issue, that was entitled: Wired: UNO Plugs into the STEM Revolution., 11/01/2015

Magazine, Omaha Magazine, I was interviewed about STEM Education in the city by the Omaha Magazine in an article entitled "Reach for the Stars"., 05/25/2017