Dr. Jessaca Spybrook serves as a Co-PI and capacity-building lead for the Center. In these roles, she oversees the design and development of events to advance STEM education researcher and STEM professional knowledge and skills to propose, conduct, and effectively communicate findings from high-quality research studies. 

Read below for Dr. Spybrook’s thoughts on how the Center is building the capacity of PreK-12 STEM education researchers. 

What value does the Center bring to the PreK-12 STEM education field? 

My hope is that it the Center will be valuable for both new and experienced PreK-12 STEM education researchers. We will provide resources and opportunities for researchers at all levels to build research skills, learn more about STEM education, and network with each other. 

How does the Center help bridge the gap between research and STEM classrooms? 

The Center will seek to connect STEM researchers and practitioners so that they can learn from each other. Resources to enhance communication across these groups and opportunities for members from these groups to engage together will be an important part of our work. 

"There is so much great work going on in STEM education. I am excited to amplify this work and to bring new researchers into the community."

-Dr. Jessaca Spybrook, Co-PI

What hopes do you have for how NSF-funded researchers will benefit from this Center?

I hope that NSF-funded researchers will find new resources to help them expand their own research. For example, suppose a researcher is funded to develop and pilot test a STEM intervention and finds positive results. The Center will provide resources to help the researcher expand this research and move this work to the next phase, perhaps an efficacy trial of the intervention. 

How will the Center be able to support early career STEM education researchers who are new to NSF? 

Supporting early career STEM education researchers is very important to me as I know NSF as a whole can feel very overwhelming. The Center will provide webinars, professional development seminars, and other opportunities to introduce new researchers to NSF and support them as they embark on writing their first proposal. 

What excites you most about this work? 

There is so much great work going on in STEM education. I am excited to amplify this work and to bring new researchers into the community. New researchers bring energy, enthusiasm, and fresh ideas which will continue to help the community thrive and grow.