Thuraia Ibrahim has been appointed to the Missouri Advisory Board for Educator Preparation (MABEP) as a student advisor. Ibrahim is a junior in biological sciences with an emphasis in secondary education from Rolla. 

MABEP was created in 2014 to improve education and training for Missouri teachers. The board advises Missouri’s State Board of Education, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The state commissioner of higher education selects one student a year with a major or emphasis in education to serve on the board. 

“It’s an honor for an S&T student to be chosen to represent education students all over the state,” says Dr. Beth Kania-Gosche, chair and professor of teacher education and certification at Missouri S&T. “I’m excited to have Thuraia’s voice at the table for statewide decision making.” 

In February, the University of Missouri Board of Curators approved Missouri S&T’s proposal to offer a bachelor of science in education. Missouri S&T has been training teachers with a heavy emphasis on STEM education for more than a decade. The university’s new bachelor of science in education degree will allow S&T to expand its teacher education and certification department to prepare more teachers, especially those in Missouri’s south-central region. The state faces shortages of K-12 teachers in STEM content areas and those serving in rural areas, Kania-Gosche says. 

For more information about Missouri S&T’s teacher education and certification program, visit teachereducation.mst.edu.