Michele KoomenEmeriti

Although known affectionately by her nine grandbabies [Nani (19), Ellery (17), Owen (17), Johannes (15), Aiden (16), Noah (13), Janneke (6), Bruny (3) and Jasper (1)] as "Oma", most of us know Michele as someone who cares deeply about children/youth and science and mathematics education. Michele came to Gustavus after many years teaching in K-12 schools and working with in-service teachers. Her professional activities have evolved over the years at Gustavus, shifting from a focus on practitioner related activities to research related activities. Michele's research interests do not stand alone or apart from the work that she does at Gustavus Adolphus College in preparing teachers, indeed they are integral to everything that she does here. Michele's scholarly endeavors focus on professional development with in-service science teachers, equity and inclusion, learning by under-represented youth in science and math classrooms, including youth with exceptionalities and second language learners in regular education classrooms.

Michele retired from teaching at Gustavus after the spring of 2020. Her work is now devoted to research. Currently, she is a Co-Pi on an NSF grant that she shares with St. Olaf College and three other Co-Pis. This work focuses on local adaptation in common milkweed across different geographic locations.  The work on the grant includes four current (or former) Gustavus Undergraduates. The team presented at two national conferences in the past year. The team plans to submit a paper at the end of March 2022 for peer review.

Citizen Science Association (CSA) research conference in May 2021:

Title of session: Citizen Science in Formal Classrooms with Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, and Local Adaptation Experiments

Presenters Michele Koomen, Jolie Grimes, Emelia Hinrichs, Ellen Hofstede, & Jake Ross (Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN); Emily Mohl (St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN)

Current publications include (* Denotes Gustavus Alumni):

Koomen, M. H., Hedenstrom, M. N., Ferguson, G., & Schaefer, K.. (2021). There are a lot of steps and sometimes you have to start all over: Independent science fair projects and science and engineering practices. School Science and Mathematics, 121(6), 314-332.

 Koomen, M. H., Hedenstrom, M. N., & Moran, M. K.* (2021). Rubbing elbows with them: Building capacity in STEM through science and engineering fairs. Science Education, 105(3), 541-579.

Koomen, M., Kahn, S., Shume, T. Including All Learners through Science Teacher Education, in J. Luft & G. Jones, Handbook of Research on Science Teacher Education, G. (Eds). Taylor & Francis, in press.

Michele is an enthusiastic long-distance cyclist in the summer and an aspiring classic cross-country skier in the winter. In July 2014, she rode the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride for 207 miles over two days with her adult son Sean. She has complted two Korte's and plans to do more! Playing with the grandbabies, counting butterflies, and messing about in a garden provide opportunities for Michele to frolic outside of her professional interests. Michele and her husband are transitioning into retirement at a new home in the Pacific Northwest's Olympic Peninsula and spending time at their family cabin in NW Wisconsin.

• KoomenCVJanuary2015.docx

Courses Taught