Dr. Christopher Emdin, a professor of science education at Teachers College, Columbia University and a nationally-acclaimed expert on urban public education, will speak at Chattanooga State Community College on Wednesday, February 29. His lecture, entitled “Reality Pedagogy: Teaching & Learning from the Student's Standpoint,” begins at 5:30 p.m. in Room 1085 of the Health Science Center, which is located on the college’s main campus at 4501 Amnicola Highway. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend.

Emdin’s work at Teachers College, an institution heralded as the nation’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious graduate school for education, reaches beyond the classroom. He also oversees Secondary School Initiatives at the Urban Science Education Center, which is a research-based school associated with Teachers College. As leading advocate for reforming public education in urban communities, Emdin is also a columnist for The Huffington Post and the author of the notable and provocative "Emdin 5" series.

Emdin began his college career at Lehman College and graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in physical anthropology/ biology/chemistry. He continued his academic pursuits at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earning a master’s degree in natural science in 2003, and in 2007, Emdin completed his doctorial studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and received a Ph.D. in urban education.

Emdin’s professional and scholastic accomplishments are notable. He was the co-author of the proposal that established the Marie Curie School in the Bronx, New York, and is currently a consultant and researcher for projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Arrive Magazine recently named Emdin a “Groundbreaking Educator,” and the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) acknowledged him with the award for the “Best Paper for Innovation in Teaching.” Emdin’s progressive ideas and ardent leadership attracted the attention of Phi Delta Kappa, which saluted him with two awards: Emdin received the “Outstanding Dissertation” and “Emerging Leaders” awards. He is also the author of the book Urban Science Education for the Hip-Hop Generation.

As Emdin continues to research urban education, he concentrates on issues impacting urban classrooms, which he references as he campaigns for transformative educational solutions. He engages public dialogue through lectures that challenge and activate audiences. Subjects such as the “Obama Effect on Urban Education,” “Hip-Hop Culture and Education,” and “Improving STEM Education,” offer relevant insight and inspire conversation. Because of unique scholarship and specialized research, Emdin receives frequent invitations for television appearances and has been a guest on programs airing on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and Fox.

For more information about Dr. Christopher Emdin and his presentation on Wednesday, February 29, contact Mary Knaff by email at mary.knaff@chattanoogastate.edu or by telephone at 423.697.3371. Information about Dr. Emdin’s lecture is also available on the college’s website at www.chattanoogastate.edu.

For information about Chattanooga State Community College and its educational programs, call the Chattanooga State information hotline at 423.697.4404 or toll free at 1.866.547.3733. Information is available at on the Chattanooga State website at www.chattanoogastate.edu, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChattState?ref=ts, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/ChattStateCC.

Chattanooga State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally-accredited community college, governed by the policies and guidelines as set forth by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Chattanooga State’s mission is to transform the lives of individuals and to develop the capacities of the business and industrial communities through technical and postsecondary education. Founded in 1965, the college serves a six-county area in Southeast Tennessee and offers more than 50 educational programs.