Food for Thought is the Grove Center’s semester series of informal interactive conversations about interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The topics for these discussion sessions are announced at the start of each semester, and the sessions themselves are usually hosted over the lunch hour. The list of upcoming topics can always be found in the “Events” section of our website. Any faculty, staff, postdocs, and students involved in any aspect of instruction are welcome to join the discussion!

The Grove Center’s primary goal in hosting the Food for Thought discussions is to support and nurture a culture of learning, continuous growth, and collaboration within our educational community. Each session focuses on educational topics curated from recent innovations, current challenges, or areas of interest identified by practitioners in our community.

Food for Thought Discussions

Fall 2025

The Food for Thought series convenes faculty and staff to share ideas, explore practical challenges, and learn from colleagues and campus experts. Join the Grove Center for Excellence in Science Education for targeted events focused on teaching strategies, student support, and professional growth.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
16 Ritenour Building (in-person)

Best Practices for Scheduling Makeup Exams – Open Discussion
Join colleagues for a collaborative exchange on effective strategies for scheduling makeup exams. This session is an opportunity to share experiences, learn from others, and explore practical approaches that support both students and instructors.

• Penn State Exam Policies
• Register by August 25: Event Registration

Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Using Available Data to Get to Know Your Students
Presenter: Marc Counterman, Data Analyst
Discover ways to leverage campus data to better understand student backgrounds, foster inclusion, and support engagement.

This session will include:

• Overview of available dashboards
• Useful notifications and resources
• Strategies for creating a sense of belonging

Register by September 23: Event Registration

Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Capturing Classroom Engagement Data for Instructor Reflection (CCEDIR)
Presenters: Melissa Hicks, Sey Yeaple, and faculty using CCEDIR
Learn how to use CCEDIR for classroom observation, analyze data in Power BI, and reflect on your teaching practices.

Register by October 13: Event Registration

Monday, November 3, 2025, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
16 Ritenour Building (in-person)

Helping Students Develop Professional Skills
Presenters: Tiffany Mathews and Dustin Zettle, Office of Science Engagement
Explore the SCIRES Certificate Program, internship and co-op options, and resources for fostering students’ career readiness. Lunch will be provided.

Register by October 24: Event Registration

Coming Soon

Future dates will be announced shortly for the following sessions:

• Making Wellness a Daily Practice (Grove Center team)
• Service-Learning Course with Embedded Domestic Travel
  Presenter: Samia Cooperider, Director, Undergraduate Equity Programs
  Learn about the Health Equity Leaders course, developed in collaboration with John Moses-Brownson, which includes a spring break trip to Philadelphia and supports students’ growth as servant leaders.

If you’d like more information, have a topic you would like us to host, or want to be added to our community LISTSERV, please contact us.

Previous Sessions

• “Assessment and Immediate Feedback Part 1 and 2”
• “Writing Science with Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistant”
• “Beyond the SRTE: Gaining Valuable Feedback from Students”
• “Faculty Focus: Supporting Multilingual Student Writers”
• “Beyond Editing: Giving Effective Feedback to Multilingual Student Writers”
• “Open Discussion: Incorporating Sustainability into Your Curriculum”
• “Incorporating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into Your Teaching for Engaging and Empowering Learning”
• “Using SharePoint to Support an Instructor Community”
• “Graphic Syllabus Design and Liquid Syllabus Design Workshop/Discussion”