Hi, my name is Martha Casquette I am the newly appointed Director of the LSAMP STEM CENTER at Texas Southmost College I have been a physics instructor at TSC since 2014. As an instructor, I try to make my classes as accessible as possible by using Open Education Resources instructional materials.  

For several years, I worked as Coordinator of Student Development for the Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (CGWA) at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (now The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley –UTRGV), where I advised and mentored undergraduate and graduate students. This position gave me clear insight into the needs of our students. It also helped me understand how important it is for students to receive guidance and mentorship. Throughout my professional career I have participated in outreach programs that bring science literacy and the fun of science to the community. Recently I received an APS outreach mini grant and several years ago I received two Governor's Summer Camps grants to organize summer camps for the Rio Grande Valley Community. I have been an instructor of several summer camps, including summer camps at TSC, Texas Tech University and Boston University. As a current member of the South Texas Astronomical Society (STARS), I help conduct monthly outreach programs for the Brownsville community.