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Carol Waters

Carol Waters, Ed.D.

Program Director of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program, Program Director of the Alternative Certification Program (ACP), and Assistant Professor of STEM Education,
College of Education

Contact number: 281-283-3503
Email: WatersC@uhcl.edu
Office: Bayou 1119.11

Biography

Carol C. Waters, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in STEM Education from UHCL as a member of the program’s first doctoral cohort. Prior to entering higher education, Dr. Waters served as an intermediate science teacher and science instructional coach. 

Drawing on extensive experience in K-12 and higher education settings, Dr. Waters teaches undergraduate, master's, and doctoral courses in science education, pedagogical models, STEM education, and teacher preparation. Her work focuses on integrated STEM education, STEM teacher preparation, environmental literacy and place-based education, data literacy and sensemaking, and GIS-supported technology integration.

Dr. Waters is committed to preparing future educators and educational leaders to design interdisciplinary, community-connected learning experiences that engage students in authentic problem solving. At the doctoral level, she prepares scholars and practitioners to become STEM education leaders by developing their expertise in research, curriculum development, instructional innovation, reflective practice, systems thinking, and organizational improvement. At the master's and undergraduate levels, she prepares future educators to design and deliver engaging instruction through effective pedagogical models, evidence‑based instructional practices, and innovative educational technologies. Through partnerships with schools, community organizations, and educational agencies, she prepares educators and leaders to implement effective instructional practices, leverage innovative technologies, and improve teaching and learning across diverse educational settings.

Areas of Expertise

  • STEM Education and School Culture
  • Environmental Education
  • Digital Literacy in Science and STEM Education

Publications

  • Waters, C. (2025). Bay to Schools: Impacting teachers and students through I-STEM education.  In K. Anderson-Pence & A. Ray (Eds.), Proceedings of the 124th annual convention of the School Science and Mathematics Association, 12. Fort Worth, TX: SSMA. 
    https://www.ssma.org/convention-proceeding
  • Waters, C., Fajuyigbe, F., Meziou, M., & Peters, M. (2025). Exploring the impacts of a science learning management system on pre-service teachers. In K. Anderson-Pence & A. Ray (Eds.), Proceedings of the 124th annual convention of the School Science and Mathematics Association, 12. Fort Worth, TX: SSMA. https://www.ssma.org/convention-proceedings 
  • Waters, C., Curtis, M. D., Hunter-Thomson, K., Jabot, M., & Zrada, M. (In press, Oct./Sept. 2026). From data collection to sensemaking: Enhancing elementary students' data literacy across disciplines. Science and Children.
  • Waters, C. (2024). Cultivating a STEM-driven school culture: A librarian's journey. School Libraries Worldwide, 29(2), 19-38. https://doi.org/10.29173/slw8780
  • Waters, C., & Wilems, C. (2024). Making cross-curricular connections: Positive and negative consequences of human activities on the Galveston Bay watershed. The Social Studies Texan, 40(2). 36-39.
  • Waters, C. (2022). Exploring effective practices of an elementary STEM block program. Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 5(3), 195-225. https://doi.org/10.31756/jrsmte.532
  • Waters, C., & Orange, A. (2022). STEM-driven school culture: Pillars of a transformative STEM approach. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 6(2). 72-90. https://dx.doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202213550

Courses (Current Academic Year)

  • EDCI 7138 Curriculum Design: Development, Implementation, Evaluation in STEM Education
  • EDCI 7431 Learning and Cognition in STEM Education
  • TCED 5030 Models of Teaching
  • TCED 5134 Introduction to Models of Teaching
  • TCED 5232 Teaching Science in the EC-6 Classroom
  • TCED 4303 Creating Positive Learning Environments EC-6
  • TCED 4322 Science Methods for EC-6

Research Projects

  • Integrated STEM Education
  • STEM Teacher Preparation
  • Environmental Literacy and Place-Based Education
  • Data Literacy and Sensemaking
  • GIS and Technology Integration in Education

Awards and Accomplishments

  • 2025 Texas Research and Scholarship Award, UHCL Center for Faculty Development
  • 2024 Early Career Faculty Award, UHCL Center for Faculty Development
  • 2023 Jhumki Basu Fellow, National Association for Research in Science Teaching
  • 2023 JASON Learning Argonaut Alumni Spotlight
  • 2022 Outstanding Master's Alumnus Award, Physics and Astronomy Department at Rice University
  • 2019 Teacher of the Year, Rice University Athletics
  • 2018 Shining Stars Distinguished Educator Award, Pasadena ISD