Charnell Long

Charnell Chasten Long, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Educator Preparation and the Lab Manager for the College of Education STEAM lab (COEd-STEAM). Before joining the faculty at her undergraduate alma mater, she completed her M.S. in Chemistry and Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016 and 2023, respectively. Her 2019 article, “The Black Women Food Scientists Who Created Meals for Astronauts,” has been cited, retweeted, and featured in numerous podcasts. In 2024, she won the AERA Outstanding Dissertation Award in Curriculum Studies for her dissertation entitled Scientific Undercommons: Black Scientists and Fugitive Study. The dissertation recovered the history of Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Society, an HBCU-based scientific honor society that gave students, faculty, and professionals space to dream in scientific freedom. Her latest publication, Carolyn Parker's Electronic Frequencies, in the edited volume Women in the History of Quantum Physics: Beyond Knabenphysik (University of Cambridge Press), recovers the history of the first known African American woman physicist. Additionally, Long advises several student organizations on campus and remains active in campus life as an alum.

In her role in the educator preparation department, Long trains preservice teachers and mentors undergraduate researchers who study the learning of science curricula in upper elementary school. In general, the Long Research Group uses qualitative methods to understand the learning process in K-5 science and mixed methods to understand the impact of the COEd-STEAM initiatives. COEd-STEAM is an innovative lab space established on campus initially with funds from Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina.   COEd-STEAM takes a three-pronged approach to STEAM education: 1) provides professional development for pre-service and in-service teachers, 2) supports parents and K-12 students by facilitating hands-on learning experiences in the local community, and 3) supplements the STEAM curriculum at the Aggie Academy.