Meet Our Faculty: Dr. Stephanie McCaslin

Meet Dr. Stephanie McCaslin

Associate Dean, School of Professional and Technical Studies

Chair, Math and Engineering Department

Faculty member since 1997
301-934-7803
sdmccaslin@csmd.edu

Courses Taught

All math offered by the college

About

I grew up traveling as part of a military family, a large part of my youth spent in Frankfurt, Germany. After starting college in Texas, I moved to Southern Maryland, where I have made my home for the last 25 years. I hold a wide variety of interests, from hiking, reading, vegan cooking, activism, music, traveling, and spending time with my partner, daughter, and pack of rescue dogs.

Educational Background

I started off my college career as an opera major and spent two years at Texas State University. After moving to Southern Maryland, and getting an associate degree from Charles County Community College (CCCC, now CSM) in arts and humanities, I went on to get my bachelor's in education from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). It was while at CCCC I discovered the parallels between music and math and started pursuing more math courses at UMD. At that same time, I started tutoring math students and realized I wanted to become a math teacher. I went on to get my master's from Nova Southeastern University in mathematics and my Ph.D. from Capella University, specializing in mathematics education at the college level.

Q&A

Do you have any passions or interests that you would like to share?

I love to be outside—I go hiking every morning, rain, snow, or shine, and find my center among trees and fresh air. Through my daily practice, I look for joy that I can share with others. As a vegan, I find joy in fresh, local produce. I love to volunteer and advocate for others. I lend a lot of my time to voter advocacy, making sure that everyone is able to participate in their elections. I also love my time as the PRISM faculty mentor, working with and supporting those in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Describe one of your biggest achievements as a CSM faculty member:

I am so proud of the creation of the Math Resource Centers (MRC). These amazing spaces are holistic, warm, inviting, and student-friendly. Not just for tutoring, these spaces are dedicated to all things math: study areas, tutoring, spaces to meet with faculty, technology help, study groups (both peer- and faculty-led), puzzle tables, and more. There are also places to get a snack or a cup of coffee while you work, all under the guidance of our amazing MRC managers who have made each space tremendously special. During the COVID-19 remote operations, these tutoring spaces were immediately re-created virtually utilizing Zoom-based rooms, with each of our MRC managers still making those supportive connections that the students valued.

Do you work or volunteer outside of the college as well? If so, what do you do?

While I do not "work" outside the college, I do volunteer. I am quite active with HeadCount and can be found at festivals and music events, and during the fall, I also frequently assist a friend by volunteering at her hat shop at the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

What do you think separates CSM from other colleges?

There is a true sense of community at CSM that is unlike any other. We truly are a family here, one that grows with each new generation of students. The staff and faculty at CSM care so much about the students and the community; we make it common practice to go the extra mile, to learn about each other, to support one another, and, at the end of the day, to find true satisfaction in a job well done.

Why would you recommend that a student take your class(es)?

I can honestly say that the mathematics and engineering faculty are excellent: Not only are they masters of their curriculum and craft, but they also love teaching. I've taken math classes in small classrooms, and in large auditoriums, and I know firsthand that the care and individualized experience you get as a student when learning mathematics in a smaller classroom is like no other. Being able to discuss application ideas, try out different methods, and compare processes in a smaller setting allows you to learn not just the content, but the construction and conceptual process of mathematical thinking—truly a higher calling.

Notable Conferences or Publications

NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics): Problem Solving - Now What?
Published: The influence of STEM initiative programs for Middle and High School students on female STEM college majors
Co-sponsor: Women + Math/ Women + STEM yearly conferences at College of Southern Maryland
Presenter: Engineer like a Girl
Featured speaker: American Eclipse, Aug. 21, 2017, Nebraska

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Last updated: 11-3-22

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