LANCASTER, Pa. — The POGIL Project, a national not-for-profit organization that disseminates its unique student-centered pedagogy at the secondary and college levels and provides professional development opportunities for instructors, has named two educators to three-year terms on its Steering Committee.  The seven-member POGIL Project Steering Committee provides definition and direction to the goals of The Project.

            The two educators are Dr. Kayla Heffernan (University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg), PA and Dr. Martin Schmerr (Central Ohio Technical College).  They will officially begin their terms at the 2025 POGIL National Meeting in June.

            “We are truly honored to have these two enthusiastic practitioners join our Steering Committee,” said Project Executive Director Rick Moog. “They bring rich experiences to this leadership team and will be key in helping us to achieve the goals in our newly launched five-year strategic plan.”

     Heffernan is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. She received her Ph.D. in Mathematics and Science Education from Temple University and has an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education. She teaches all levels of mathematics courses at Pitt-Greensburg, with a special interest in mathematics for education students. In addition, she supervises Secondary Education Mathematics student teachers. Her research interests center on mathematics identity, guided inquiry-based learning, and interdisciplinary programming for STEM majors.

     She is also currently a co-PI on an NSF S-STEM grant project. She was introduced to POGIL when her university administration asked her to investigate teaching methods to help students better understand and succeed in Algebra. After attending a few introductory and writing workshops, she began to design POGIL activities. Since then, she has worked with The POGIL Project to publish the College Algebra: A Guided Inquiry book and implements POGIL regularly in her own classes. She has also served as a classroom tester for math activities seeking POGIL endorsement and serves as a curator for the POGIL Activities Clearinghouse. She also received the 2024 POGIL Early Achievement (PEACH) Award.

     "I am beyond excited to join the POGIL Steering Committee,” said Heffernan. “Since learning about POGIL and starting on this journey in 2019, I have found that POGIL is more than simply an approach to teaching; It is a community of welcoming, intelligent, and motivated individuals who encourage, push, and help one another to better the world of education. As a member of the Steering Committee, I am not just contributing to the direction of a project; I’m helping to empower educators, inspire students, and build a more collaborative, inquiry-driven approach to education. I see this role as a chance to make a lasting impact on how we think about teaching and learning, and to ensure that the POGIL methodology continues to grow and evolve in ways that are meaningful, inclusive, and transformative for classrooms everywhere. I look forward to learning from the community more and bringing my own ideas to The POGIL Project and Strategic Plan over the next three years."

     Martin Schmerr’s curiosity in science grew as he spent hours peeking under rocks and constructing dams across the creek near his parents’ home in rural Iowa. His passion for science drove him to earn a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and molecular genetics from Ohio State University, a doctorate in molecular and cellular biology from Ohio University, and a post-doctoral fellowship in developmental biology at the Cleveland Clinic. He has since adopted the Buckeye State as his home. 

     Schmerr has been teaching anatomy and physiology at Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) since 2011. Since experiencing a POGIL classroom in 2013, he shifted his teaching approach to focus on a student-centered classroom. The POGIL Project has helped him create a welcoming learning environment that fosters student success in his classroom.

     Schmerr enjoys being outside in his free time. While working to transform his backyard into a vegetable garden and wildlife oasis, he often takes breaks to listen to birds sing and call to each other. His berry patch usually doubles as a sanctuary for bird nests and he believes that there is much to learn from listening to and observing nature.

     "I look forward to joining the POGIL Steering Committee to transform how educators help students learn," said Schmerr.