COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – A veteran secondary school science teacher and biologist will lead an innovative program designed to encourage science and math course enrollment and technical careers.
David Khaliqi (COL-AK-E), a former physics and biology teacher at The Classical Academy, Colorado Springs, will direct the UCCS Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education. He is the first director of the new center charged with designing new programs to encourage more middle and high school students to take science and math courses and to consider college degrees in science, math and engineering. He began June 11. His appointment was announced by Martin Wood, managing director, National Institute of Science, Space and Security Centers.
Worker shortages are predicted in many key U.S. industries as fewer students study math and science. Improving the pipeline of potential employees is a priority for industry and academic leaders.
“There are many teachers in this community and in others who are doing an outstanding job,” Khaliqi said. “The mission of the center is to partner with parents, educators and industry to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.”
Although plans are preliminary, Khaliqi believes CSTEME will focus initially on supporting high-performing secondary school teachers with the goal of making them educational leaders by conducting workshops for teachers new to teaching science and math curriculums or interested in better connecting with students.
At The Classical Academy, a charter school in Colorado Springs, Khaliqi led innovations such as “Bio Blitz,” an on-campus biodiversity count that linked students with scientists from natural resource agencies. He also designed a two-week field biology camp for fifth and sixth grade students, an honors biology curriculum, and served as both science department chair and science instruction philosophy advisor to the school administration.
Previously, Khaliqi worked as a field biologist at the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Brighton, as a secondary science educator at Carachipampa International School, Cochabamba, Bolivia, and as a science and math teacher at West Grand High School, Kremmling. He also worked as an interpreter and naturalist at Castlewood Canyon State Park, Franktown, and as a whitewater river guide in Salida and Canon City.
In 2005, he earned the Rivers First Outstanding Environmental Educator Award. In 2004, he was named the Colorado League of Charter Schools Teacher of the Year and in 2000 was named The Classical Academy Teacher of the Year.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, and a master’s degree in geography and environmental studies from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
CSTEME is one of four centers of the National Institute of Science, Space and Security Centers. The other centers include the Trauma, Health and Hazards Center, the Center for Homeland Security and the Center for Space Studies.
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,600 students annually.