Richard C. Lasselle has been appointed assistant professor of STEM education at Clarkson University.
Lasselle has been working with Clarkson as an adjunct professor in the Department of Education since 2006. He has served as an instructor, research project advisor, guest lecturer, and course developer.
He served as a science teacher for 31 years in the Guilderland Central School District, where he taught physics, chemistry, nanotechnology, and Earth science at both Farnsworth Middle School and Guilderland High School.
Lasselle has made a career of creating inquiry-based curricula that stress students discovering the world around them. He also promotes an interdisciplinary approach and creating literacy-rich classrooms across disciplines.
He holds active National Board Certification in early adolescence science from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Fewer than one percent of the teachers in New York state have achieved this rigorous assessment of what teachers should know and be able to do. He also holds permanent New York State certification in chemistry, Earth science, physics, and general science.
Lasselle is co-author of the book Inquiry Learning Sourcebook, an application of the Inquiry Learning Model to the study of social studies with strong interdisciplinary connections.
He made the decision to become a teacher while earning his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering at Clarkson in 1985. He subsequently earned a master of science in secondary education from the University at Albany in 1992.