UWF to host leader in the field of student learning for public lecture and retention workshops

The University of West Florida will host Dr. Saundra McGuire, leader in the field of improving student learning, for a public lecture and a variety of retention workshops. McGuire’s public lecture, “Metacognition: The Key to Lifelong Learning,” will be held on Monday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at the UWF Conference Center. The presentation will discuss strategies that can be taught to students at any age to increase meaningful learning and academic success. This event is free and open to the public.

In addition to the public lecture, McGuire will offer UWF Student Success and Retention Workshops during her visit. The workshops will provide students, tutors, mentors, academic advisors and faculty with effective strategies, new ideas and techniques to better understand the overall role of metacognition in education.

All workshops are sponsored by the UWF STEM Steering Committee; Division of Student Affairs; Student Retention Initiatives; Office of Equity, Diversity and International Affairs; the John C. Pace Symposium Series; College of Science, Engineering and Health; and the Center for University Teaching, Learning and Assessment.

McGuire is the director emerita of the Center for Academic Success and retired assistant vice chancellor and professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University.

Prior to joining LSU in August 1999, McGuire spent 11 years at Cornell University, where she served as director of the Center for Learning and Teaching, senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award. She has presented keynote addresses and workshops on improving student learning at institutions such as The University of Washington, The University of California at Davis and the University of Cape Town.

McGuire is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including 2011 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science designation, 2010 Fellow of the American Chemical Society designation and the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, which was presented to her in a White House Oval Office Ceremony.

McGuire received a bachelor’s degree from Southern University, a master’s degree from Cornell University and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee, where she also received the Chancellor’s Citation for Exceptional Professional Promise.

For more information and to register for the public lecture, visit uwf.edu/offices/cutla/.