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Professor, International STEM Education, Oceanography, and Bilingual/ESL Education
Phone: 903.566.7448
Email: tkennedy@uttyler.edu
Building: BEP 229F
Department: College of Education and Psychology, School of Education: College of Engineering (Joint
Appointment)
Additional Department: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry: Associated Affiliate
Professor, Oceanography
Dr. Kennedy joined The University of Texas at Tyler in 2009. She is a Professor of
STEM and Bilingual/ELL Education and holds a joint appointment in the College of Education
and Psychology School of Education and in the College of Engineering. She teaches
Oceanography and Meteorology in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as pedagogy
courses at the undergraduate level and school improvement courses for master’s and
doctoral students in the College of Education and Psychology. She has nearly 40 years
of experience in higher education (since 1988). Her K–12 teaching experience includes
8 years at the secondary level and 7 years at the elementary/middle school level in
Idaho, Oregon and Washington, with secondary teaching certifications in Earth Science
and Natural Science, Social Studies, Spanish, English as a Second Language and Bilingual
Education, and elementary certification in all subject areas (since 1985). She has
taught science, social studies, and language lessons in classrooms around the world.
CURRENT BOARD POSITIONS:
National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) Co-Chair, International Committee, 2026-present.
International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICoRSA) Advisory Board: 2024–present.
International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) ICASE Past President (2014-2017); ICASE Representative to UNESCO (2010-present).
International Education and Resource Network (iEARN-USA) Advisory Council: 2021–2026.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) NGO Liaison Committee: 2023–2024; 2022–2023; 2016–2018. During third elected term served as Vice President of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee and as their Liaison to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
COURSES TAUGHT AT UT TYLER:
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
College of Arts and Sciences
GEOL 3314 – Oceanography and Meteorology
College of Education and Psychology
ELED 4360/5300 – Teaching English Language Learners
EDUT 4170 – Apprentice Teaching Seminar
EDUC 4199 – Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) Internship
EDUC 4199 – Global Education
EDUC 4334 – Methods for Teaching Elementary English Language Learners
EDUC 4360 – ESL Methodology
EDUC 4378 – Methods for Teaching Secondary English Language Learners
GRADUATE COURSES
College of Education and Psychology
EDUC 5301 – Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences
EDUC 5306 – Special Topics in Education: Methods for Teaching K-12 ELLs
EDUC 5306 – Special Topics in Education: Grad Teach Diversity & Special Populations
EDUC 5306 – Special Topics in Education: Current Innovations in Education
EDUC 5352 – Curriculum Foundations
EDUC 5356 – Diversity in Educational Settings
EDSI 6322 – Culturally Responsive Practices for School Improvement
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
Dr. Kennedy’s has dedicated her career to advancing global science education, Ocean
Literacy, and international STEM and sustainability initiatives. Her diverse research
interests span biological and geological oceanography in the context of climate change;
Ocean Literacy; international comparative education; and fostering interest and competencies
in STEM and 21st century skills. She is also deeply engaged in exploring gender and
equity issues in STEM, content-based second language teaching and learning with STEM
disciplines, and the intersection of brain research with second language acquisition
and bilingualism. She has won over $38 million in grants, contracts and development
(over 5 million of which has occurred during her tenure at UT Tyler).
She has presented at over 500 events and served on the writing teams for national
and international policy publications with the U.S. Center for Economic and National Security, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO).
She has authored/co-authored over 25 book chapters, over 55 journal articles and features,
and over 50 proceedings and reports. She was a writer as well as editor for more than
300 GLOBE STAR stories and various reports and web pages published on NASA's GLOBE Program website from 2003–2012,
and also co-narrated a NASA Connect Video (The A-Train Express Satellites) filmed in 2004 in Paris in collaboration with the French Space Agency (CNES), highlighting
two of NASA's Earth science satellite missions (CALIPSO and CloudSat). In addition,
she served as the editor for seven issues of Learning Languages, the professional journal of the National Network for Early Language Learning from 2002–2005. Her publications have been included in journals such as Springer Nature; Science Education International; Education Sciences; the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning; Frontiers in Education; The Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice; The American Journal of Biomedical Science and Research; The International House Journal; Children, Youth and Environment; the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) Navigator; Teaching Children Mathematics; The Journal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; The Journal of Interactive Online Learning; NWATE Journal of Education Practices; Brain and Language; the International Reading Association; The Reading Teacher; ACTFL Foreign Language Annuals; The Language Educator; Learning Languages; TESOL; Hispania; Sino-US English Teaching; the TexELT Journal; and in several NASA publications and different international venues such as the
Impreso en la República Argentina; la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú; Spain's Ministry of Education Magazine; and the World Meteorological Organization Magazine (Switzerland).
ADDITIONAL POSITIONS HELD AT UT TYLER:
Dr. Kennedy established UT Tyler's Office of International Programs (OIP) in January
2013 and served as Assistant Vice President for International Programs and Senior International Officer
for UT Tyler leading all OIP operations from July 2013–May 2017. During that time, her responsibilities
included creating and managing several cross-functional OIP units (Study Abroad; International
Services; and International Research and Engagement); serving as Principal Designated
School Official for F Visa Student Program activities and Responsible Officer for
the J Visa Exchange Visitor Program working with the U.S. Department of State Student
Exchange and Visitor Program, and expanding international collaborations for UT Tyler
by establishing 17 new international partnership agreements with universities abroad.
In addition, Dr. Kennedy established and led UT Tyler's Passport Acceptance Facility working with the U.S. Department of State Passport Services (September 2015–October
2017) and also created and directed UT Tyler's Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) for the School of Education (January 2013–December 2017). Prior to founding
the OIP, she was assigned to assist the Provost's Office with international recruitment
and marketing (September 2010–July 2013). Dr. Kennedy spent the summer of 2017 transitioning
out of the OIP in order to resume her teaching, research and service activities.
PAST POSITIONS:
Past positions include serving in several different capacities for NASA's GLOBE Program at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR, Boulder Colorado) from 2001–2012, responsible for facilitating activities in 112 GLOBE partner countries
working with NASA's Office of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) and the U.S. Department
of State. Positions included serving as Director of the GLOBE Program Office International Division and U.S. Country Coordinator (2009–2012 located on the University of Texas at Tyler campus); GLOBE Deputy Director / Director of the International Division and U.S. Country Coordinator (2003–2009 located at UCAR in Boulder, Colorado); and
GLOBE Deputy Chief Educator and Assistant Director of U.S. Partnerships (2001–2003 at the former GLOBE headquarters office in Washington D.C.). She co-authored
the GLOBE Teacher's Guide Implementation Introduction and Appendix, as well as the GLOBE Comparing Surface and Subterranean Environments (Cave) Field Guide [also in Spanish] developed for the 11th Annual GLOBE Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. She also
managed all activities related to the GLOBE International Help Desk as well as Star
historical summaries posted to the GLOBE website from 2003–2012. Dr. Kennedy continues
to serve as a GLOBE Master Trainer (1996–present), and also co-directs The University of Texas at Tyler GLOBE U.S. Partnership (2009–present), responsible for recruiting, training and mentoring K–12 teachers
and university pre-service education students to implement GLOBE activities with their
students in East Texas.
Prior to her position at UCAR, she was an Associate Research Professor of Education at the University of Idaho where she founded a bilingual/foreign language science education program, and also served as the NASA Broker Facilitator for the State of Idaho, the director of the NASA Regional Educator's Resource Center for the College of Engineering NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium, and led the Center for Evaluation, Research and Public Service for the College of Education facilitating faculty in identifying and developing potential grant and evaluation projects. In addition, she served as an adjunct professor for Washington State University, the University of Alabama, and Tillamook Bay Community College in Oregon.