Dr. Deborah L. Bailey has over 25 years of experience in education and program management having started her career as a High School Science teacher with the United States Peace Corps in Namibia, South Africa. Currently she serves as the STEM Education Specialist in the Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment of the Oregon Department of Education where, among other things, she is managing a portfolio of 13 Oregon STEM Hubs. She received her doctorate in Science Education and a Master’s of Public Health from Oregon State University (2015). She also holds a Master’s Degree in Resource Development from Michigan State University (2005) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1996). While at Oregon State she worked with John H. Falk and Lynn Dierking on the STEM Research Center’s project Advancing STEM, Creativity & Innovation Learning through SYNERGIES. Dr. Bailey’s dissertation research focused on youth perception of science learned in an out-of-school and experiential garden program. Dr. Bailey is particularly interested in the development of science identity and its influence on individual behavior change. Prior to graduate school she was a Research Assistant at Michigan State University (Extension) where she coordinated a research project exploring school-level interventions for health behavior change.
