Stephen Farenga is Professor of Science Education at the City University of New York at Queens College. He earned his doctorate at Columbia University. His research and writing interests involve making science content accessible and comprehensible to the general public. In particular, his areas of specialization include cognition in science, the development of spatial thinking skills in STEM, neuroconstructivism, and the development of STEM-related dispositions. He has published numerous articles and is co-author of Spatial Intelligence: Why It Matters from Birth through the Lifespan (2017), The Importance of Average: Playing the Game of School to Increase Success and Achievement (2010), Knowledge Under Construction: The Importance of Play in Developing Children’s Spatial and Geometric Thinking (2007). He also co-edited Alternatives to Privatizing Public Education and Curriculum (2017) and the Encyclopedia of Education and Human Development (2005). Dr. Farenga has served as a consultant for the National Science Teachers Association as well as for urban and suburban school districts, and was editor of the science column entitled “After the Bell” in the journal Science Scope. Dr Farenga has served as an NSF principal investigator and co-principal investigator on grants that investigate science instruction, exploratory practices in STEM, and the retention of science education majors and teachers.

His work with the HSI-STEM grant is an extension of his other work, as he trains peer mentors in good pedagogical practices. This pedagogical training is important for the peer mentors to make the shift from simply being content tutors to being peer mentors.

Contact him at: Stephen.Farenga@qc.cuny.edu