Education Overview

Introduction to the Education and Broader Participation Overview

This page provides an overview of NewFoS Education and Broader Participation initiatives, which bring research, learning, and mentoring together in intentional ways. The sections below highlight:

• Convergence Education – how educational activities are integrated with research and designed to prepare participants for future opportunities.
• Mentoring Ecosystem – the structure of mentoring across students, postdocs, faculty, and staff, and how collaboration extends across institutions.
• Theoretical and Methodological Foundations – the guiding frameworks and approaches that shape the design and direction of our programs.

These areas collectively show how NewFoS builds connections between education, mentoring, and research to strengthen both individual growth and the broader scientific community.

The NewFoS Education and Broader Participation (E&BP) program is built around four interconnected activities that integrate education, workforce preparation, and knowledge transfer with research. These activities include:

• the development of an authoritative, context-based Topological Acoustics (TA) textbook and accompanying digital resources to support instruction and establish a foundation for the TA field;
• a Community College Workshop that provides accessible entry points into TA pathways and introduces students to careers in the TA workforce;
• the Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program, which cultivates the next generation of TA researchers by engaging undergraduates in immersive research experiences paired with structured mentoring;
• Leadership Programs that prepare participants to become leaders in science and society by strengthening professional skills, mentoring capacity, and leadership abilities—critical components of sustaining a skilled TA workforce.

Image

Together, these efforts form a convergence education program that connects researchers, educators, and students, supports knowledge transfer within NewFoS and across the broader scientific community, and sustains a mentoring ecosystem that integrates research with workforce development goals.

NewFoS education and mentoring initiatives are grounded in established theoretical and methodological frameworks that ensure our work is research-informed and aligned with best practices for preparing the future Topological Acoustics (TA) workforce. These frameworks guide the design and implementation of our programs and provide the foundation for participant development as researchers, mentors, and leaders.

Research Experience and Mentoring (REM)
The REM program integrates several complementary frameworks that collectively shape student learning, mentoring relationships, and workforce preparation. Komives’ Leadership Identity Development Model informs how participants move through stages of leadership and identity formation, ensuring they gain both confidence and skills as members of the research community. LINCSS (Linking Integrative Narratives to Create STEM Synergy) provides a holistic framework for understanding how students develop a sense of scientific identity and professional capacity. The Entering Research curriculum (Handelsman et al.) offers structured, research-based guidance for undergraduates to become contributing researchers, with emphasis on communication, problem-solving, and persistence. An Asset-Based approach highlights students’ strengths and lived experiences as resources for learning and professional growth. Finally, the concept of a Place-Based Education situates research and workforce development within broader social and institutional contexts, ensuring that participants connect their scientific training to the communities and environments in which TA research operates. Together, these frameworks ensure that REM cultivates both technical skills and professional capacity for long-term success in the TA workforce.

Student-Centered Leadership Series (SCL)
The Student-Centered Leadership Series builds on many of the same frameworks as REM, with specific application to leadership and mentoring development. LINCSS guides how leadership identity is shaped by networks, community, and broader societal impact, as well as to allow these future researchers and scientific leaders to use this system with their mentees and students. The Asset-Based approach reinforces that leadership training should begin from participants’ existing capacities, helping them build on strengths while gaining new skills in communication, mentoring, and professional practice. Like REM, the SCL is also informed by a Place-Based framework, emphasizing that leadership is situated and contextual, shaped by the collaborative and interdisciplinary environment of NewFoS. By grounding leadership training in these frameworks, SCL ensures that participants develop as reflective leaders whose growth is connected to both their research experiences and the broader TA workforce.

The LINCSS Framework (The 5 Ps)

LINCSS is a STEM identity-development model developed at the University of Arizona. It centers on understanding each learner’s “why” to create intentional, meaningful STEM experiences students. For more information, see the full LINCSS framework (Chavarria & Knox, 2023).

• People: Building connections to communities and cultures inside and beyond the lab.
• Place: Recognizing how context and environment influence scientific practice and how scientific practices influence places.
• Personal: Valuing students’ identities, backgrounds, and lives as strengths in STEM.
• Practice: Developing the methods, habits, and skills that underpin research and leadership.
• Profession: Supporting aspirations by cultivating awareness of career paths and academic trajectories.