Kelly Sturner

NIMBioS Education and Outreach Coordinator (2010-2017)

Kelly Sturner was the Education & Outreach Coordinator for NIMBioS where she facilitated NIMBioS' activities to enhance education at the interface of mathematics and biology for K-12 students and teachers, college students and faculty, researchers and the general public. Major E&O programs include the Summer Research Experiences (SRE) for undergraduates and teachers, the Undergraduate Research Conference at the Interface of Mathematics and Biology, and Adventures in STEM Camp. Her work included activities to enhance diversity, such as coordination with NIMBioS Minority-Serving Institution partners and organizing many activities that have broadening participation of underrepresented groups in STEM as a goal. She facilitated more than 200 outreach activities at NIMBioS. Working closely with NIMBioS Associate Director of Education & Outreach Suzanne Lenhart to achieve the outreach mission of NIMBioS, Sturner also cultivated and maintained partnerships with other organizations and institutions, mentored undergraduates, helped involve college students and faculty in outreach, and contributed to the NIMBioS blog.

Sturner is a former scientist turned informal science educator. Her background as a soil ecologist working on ecosystems under the pressures of global climate change motivates her to help others understand the nature of STEM and its value to society, as well as recruit talented people into STEM careers to work on grand challenges. She began doing outreach while a scientist at Argonne National Laboratory as a way to give back to the types of programs that were influential in her career path. She enjoys helping others discover and develop their talents in STEM.

Sturner has a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, an M.S. in Soil Science from the University of California, Davis and an M.S. in Science Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

NIMBioS
1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-3410
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From 2008 until early 2021, NIMBioS was supported by the National Science Foundation through NSF Award #DBI-1300426, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.