Uchenna Emenaha Miles, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching

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Bio

Dr. Uchenna Emenaha Miles is an award-winning professor and former middle and high school science teacher. She is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education and Human Development (Department of Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching) with affiliations in the College of Sciences (Department of Mathematics). Dr. Emenaha Miles’ research centers on culturally responsive STEM pedagogy and the sociocultural dimensions of science and mathematics instruction. Her scholarship is grounded in three interconnected areas. First, she examines how teachers can integrate sociocultural issues into standards-based STEM instruction while maintaining disciplinary rigor. Second, she studies how pre-service and in-service teachers develop the pedagogical knowledge and dispositions necessary to create identity-affirming, belonging-driven classrooms. Third, she explores how culturally responsive pedagogy can be used to strengthen students’ scientific argumentation and evidence-based reasoning in science classrooms.

She is the author of the forthcoming book Teaching Sociocultural Issues in the Science Classroom: Standards-Based Lessons on Human Diversity and has led externally funded projects aimed at expanding educational opportunity in STEM. Dr. Emenaha Miles regularly presents her research at national conferences and collaborates with educators and community partners to advance inclusive and high-quality STEM education.

Teaching

Perspectives of Science & Math
Grant Writing
Advanced Application of Research

Research Interests

Culturally responsive STEM pedagogy
Sociocultural integration in standards-based science and mathematics instruction
Identity-affirming and belonging-centered learning environments
Development of students’ scientific argumentation skills

Degrees

Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, Science Education
- College of Education, University of Houston, Houston, TX
Master of Science, Health Education
- College of Education, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
Bachelor of Science, Biology
- College of Science & Math, Houston Christian University (double major)
Bachelor of Science, Communication
- College of Humanities, Houston Christian University (double major)

Honors and Awards

Faculty Grant Development Award, Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching Department
- Year Awarded: 2023
Early Career Critical Educators of Social Justice Award, AERA SIG- Critical Educators for Social Justice
- Year Awarded: 2025
Faculty Grant Development Award, Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching Department
- Year Awarded: 2023
Gerald Skoog Cup for Outstanding Leadership in Science Teacher Education, Science Teachers Association of Texas
- Year Awarded: 2021
Student Scholar Award, National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE)
- Year Awarded: 2017 and 2020

Grants, Patents and Clinical Trials

STEM Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Track 1: Preparing Secondary STEM Teachers in South-Central Texas, National Science Foundation — $714,480 (PI) – Funded
Connect & Thrive Mini-Grant, UT San Antonio Student Success Office — $1,000 (PI) – Funded
Women in STEM Summer Writing Retreat, ADVANCE NSF Mini-Grant Program for Faculty Innovation and Transformation — $10,000 (PI) – Funded
UTSA ILT Faculty Grant Development Award (2024) — $5,300 (PI) – Funded
UTSA Student Leadership & Community Connection, First-Year Student Experience & Faculty Engagement Mini-Grant Program — $1,500 (Co-PI) – Funded
Planning with Purpose Game Night, First-Year Student Experience & Faculty Engagement Mini-Grant Program — $1,000 (PI) – Funded

Publications

Ouedraogo-Thomas, R., & Miles Emenaha, U. (2026). Centering Black Girls: Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and BlackCrit to Disrupt Bias in STEM Spaces. American Journal of STEM Education, 17, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.32674/ve0sd821
Emenaha Miles, U., Thacker, I., & Leihsing, S. (2025). Invisible barriers: Broadening PSTs' awareness of implicit bias in STEM education. School Science and Mathematics, 125(6), 323–333. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.18386, (IF:1.3)
Emenaha Miles, U., Leishsing, S., & Rodriguez, J. S. (2025). How student-led organizations shape STEM pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging. American Journal of STEM Education, 16, 77-94. https://doi.org/10.32674/f46x4b78
Emenaha Miles, U., (2024). Exploring science teacher perspectives on social issues through use of intervention study design: A case study approach. In Sage Research Methods: Diversifying and Decolonizing Research. SAGE Publications, Ltd., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529690002
Emenaha, U. (2023). Deconstructing Social Constructs: Exploring Teachers’ Positionality When Teaching Race and Human Diversity in the Science Classroom, Journal of Multicultural Affairs. 9(2)
Emenaha, U. (2023). sySTEMic Issues: Exploring the Effects of Colonialism on English Language Learners’ Science and Math Outcomes. In Ashraf Esmail (Eds.), Social justice perspectives on English Language Learners, Hamilton Books.
Emenaha, U. (2022). Reimagining a Culture of Equality (R.A.C.E.) lesson: Discussing race in the science classroom. The American Biology Teacher, 84 (5), 267–272. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2022.84.5.267 (Featured article)
Emenaha, U. (2020). Using pop culture to teach genetics: Teaching patterns of inheritance using students’ favorite celebrity couples. The Science Teacher, 88(1), 54-58.
Emenaha, U. & Perry, A. A. (2019). Lights, camera, and a call to action: Women in media help promote science identity in female students. Journal of Virginia Science Education, (12)2. 6-9.
Emenaha, U. (2019). Learning to argue like a scientist when discussing social issues. The Science Teacher Bulletin, 82(2), 1-5.
Emenaha, U. (2018). The science of fake news: Use of socio-scientific issues in the modern science classroom. The STATellite, 61(2), 21-22.

Uchenna Emenaha Miles, Ph.D.