Dr. Iris Wagstaff was honored with the K-12 Promotion of Education Award at the 22nd annual Women of Color STEM Conference in October 2017.
She has a wealth of experience as a science educator, spanning from K-12 to undergraduate and graduate levels.
Dr. Wagstaff has collaborated with K-12 science teachers to develop science curricula, which enhanced their content knowledge and provided engaging and innovative lessons for students.
As a science advocate, she has supported students in STEM by providing mentorship, tutoring, and advice about careers in the chemical industry.
She has been involved in developing and managing programs that employ hands-on science activities with real-world applications for many years.
Dr. Wagstaff currently serves as a program director in the Education and Human Resources Department of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Previously, she worked as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, which applies physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and engineering to law matters.
In her 15 years as a research chemist, including her time at Rohm and Haas (now Dow Chemical), she mentored undergraduate and graduate interns and was involved in initiatives to recruit underrepresented students in STEM, such as females and persons with disabilities.
Furthermore, as a national member of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) since 1993, Dr. Wagstaff has served in various capacities in different chapters.
Dr. Wagstaff's passion for science and science education led her to establish the Brilliant and Beautiful Foundation Science, Math, Research, and Technology Scholars program.
In this program, she leads science workshops that engage middle school girls of color, incorporating hands-on STEM activities, a parent workshop, interactions with female scientists of color, and a STEM fair.
Her educational outreach in the community has had a lasting impact on future scientists, and she has over 20 years of experience in STEM outreach, informal science programs, mentoring, and serving as a role model for underrepresented students in chemistry and chemical engineering.
Want to know more about the upcoming 2024 Women of Color STEM DTX Conference? Join us for a half-hour talk show, "Midweek with WOC," on the DTX platform: https://t.co/oO9RBTBalm Today, September 11, 2024 at 1:00 PM EDT. #wocstem2024 #wocstemdtx pic.twitter.com/kIOA8BCWz8
— Women of Color Magazine & Conference (@WOCTechnology) September 11, 2024
