Staff
IMSEP Administrative Team
 | Jeffrey Weld, Ph.D. Jeffrey Weld, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and Director of the inter-university collaborative, Iowa Mathematics & Science Education Partnership (IMSEP) and Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Jeff has directed the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council since fall 2011, and the Iowa Mathematics & Science Education Partnership, the Council’s operations arm, since 2008. He has been a member of the UNI Biology faculty since 2000. In 2007 Jeff was named the College Biology Teacher of the Year- 4-year institutions by the National Association of Biology Teachers. He has authored more than fifty research articles, essays, book chapters, and the textbook The Game of Science Education published in 2004, focusing on research into the barriers to innovative science teaching at the secondary and collegiate levels and how to overcome them. He is past President of the Iowa Science Teachers association and of UNI’s chapter of Sigma Xi — the scientific research society. Prior to joining UNI, Jeff served on the faculty at Oklahoma State University after earning a doctorate in Science Education with an emphasis in ecology and endocrinology from the University of Iowa in 1998. Formerly a high school biology and chemistry teacher in Mission, Texas, Kirkwood, Missouri, and Pella, Iowa, Jeff was named the Ciba-Geigy 1993 Life Science Teacher of the Year in Iowa; a 1994 recipient of the Pella Corporation Focus on Teaching Excellence award; and in 1995 one of fifty national Access Excellence Fellows of the Genentech corporation. Jeff serves on several state and national boards including the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation and the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology. |
 | Kari Jastorff, MPA, is the Program Manager of the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP). As program manager, she is responsible for the IMSEP Institute office operations, budget oversight, and coordination of communication and efforts among all stakeholders involved with this partnership. Kari brings with her nearly 20 years of executive assistant experience in both the public and private sector. She also has an academic background in secondary education, office administration, and public administration. |
 | Tonja Richards, MPA, is the Communications and Marketing Specialist for the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership. From media relations to event planning, Tonja brings to the team over 20 years of marketing and communication experience in both the public and private sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Relations from Middle Tennessee State University and a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from Drake University. In her time with the Iowa Department of Economic Development, Tonja earned a Certified Public Manager (CPM) designation, and received the Iowa Governors’ Volunteer of the Year Service Award for work with the National Governors Association (NGA). She is a graduate of Leadership Iowa, 2009-2010, the 'best class ever.' |
2011-2012 Student Assistants
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