The STEM Center values partnerships that connect community needs with campus expertise. We welcome faculty and students from all disciplines and support interdisciplinary collaboration by lowering barriers to outreach and engagement. Guided by faculty and student interests, research-informed practices, and regional opportunity gaps, we create sustainable opportunities that benefit K–12 learners, educators, community partners, and the JMU community.

Boys & Girls Club of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County
Fall 2026 kicks off the 7th year of our partnership with BGCHR! Through this partnership, JMU STEM Corps members engage 90+ young children in 10 weeks of STEM education aimed at enriching their school science and math learning. We aim to make this a mutually beneficial and sustainable partnership by working closely with BGCHR executive director, Sandra Quigg, and her talented staff to ensure aligned goals and practices, and by creating a learning facilitation model that offers our students opportunities to practice and strengthen professional competencies over multiple years through education outreach.

The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind
In this partnership, JMU STEM professors work with VSDB’s Science teachers and Orientation & Mobility instructors to develop enriching real-world STEM experiences for middle and high school students with low-vision and blindness. VSDB students work side-by-side with JMU students to address a problem using STEM practices that incorporate auditory or tactile methods of data collection and analysis. 

JMU Division of Access and Enrollment
We partner with coordinators and directors of programs focused on providing middle and high schools students a variety of academic and student life experiences on JMU's campus. Our professors develop and lead STEM workshops for students from across VA through partnership with Middle School Visit Program, Professor In Residence; Valley Scholars; and Education Talent Search.

JMU Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services
In addition to serving on the IIHHS Innovation Collaborative, we partner with one of their flagship programs, The Gus Bus, to host a fall event promoting Family STEM Engagement.

A key mission of the STEM Center is to lower barriers to faculty involvement in outreach. We offer a variety of opportunities that align with faculty interests while respecting their time and commitments. Each faculty partner plays a unique and essential role in advancing the STEM Center's impact and helping us expand meaningful STEM learning opportunities for our community. Learn more about faculty opportunites.

Thank you to our 2026-2027 Faculty Partners

• Dr. Corey Cleland - Biology
• Dr. Brent Cunningham - Engineering
• Dr. Kris Kubow - Biology
• Dr. Chris Johnson - Computer Science
• Dr. Simon Marland - Theatre and Dance
• Jess Marquardt - Biology
• Dr. Chris Mayfield - Computer Science
• Dr. Emily Naylor - Biology
• Dr. Lauren Sarringhaus - Biology
• Anna Marie Smith - SADAH
• Dr. Bisi Velayudhan - Biology
• Dr. George Vidal - Biology

JMU STEM Corps
STEM Corps is a group of JMU students from ALL MAJORS who have an interest in making quality STEM education accessible to K-12 students in our community. STEM Corps is led by a team of 10 STEM Leadership Interns who work closely with STEM Center director, Dr. Kerry Cresawn. There is no membership cost or other fees. The STEM Corps framework is designed to provide opportunities for students to develop the types of of leadership, collaboration, and communication skills that stand out to future employers and graduate programs.

Computer Science Ambassadors
CS Ambassadors are undergraduate student leaders who support computer science recruitment, student engagement, and community outreach. Through the STEM Center, they assist with faculty-led events and serve as lead facilitators for faculty-designed workshops. Their enthusiasm, energy, and firsthand experiences help make computer science engaging and accessible while creating meaningful connections with K–12 students.