January 31, 2019
The STEM Next Opportunity Fund, in collaboration with the US Department of Education, is pleased to announce the appointment of Patti Curtis as the new Robert Noyce/Ellen Lettvin Informal STEM Education Fellow. Curtis, who has led policy efforts for the Museum of Science, Boston for more than a decade, is a recognized leader and thoughtful collaborator in the STEM community. Her accomplishments include:
- Working with Congress to design several bills in support of K-12 engineering education, as well as the inclusion of several provisions within the America COMPETES Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA);
- Helping secure technology and engineering language in the National Assessment Education Progress (NAEP) Science, and Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) Assessment as well as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS);
- Serving on the STEM Education Congressional Caucus steering committee and the Title IVA Coalition steering committee;
- Co-chairing the STEM Education Coalition; and
- Receiving the ASTC Ray L. Schafer Leading Edge award for her leadership in policy and advocacy.
Dr. Ellen Lettvin, who passed away in 2018, previously held the Informal STEM Education Fellowship. In her honor, the Fellowship has been renamed the Robert Noyce/Ellen Lettvin Informal STEM Education Fellowship.
“Patti is a stellar choice to carry on Ellen Lettvin’s legacy, and has been a leading STEM policy voice. She is an expert in engineering education policy, and is highly experienced in formal and out of school STEM education policy,” said Ron Ottinger, executive director, STEM Next Opportunity Fund.
“I look forward to having Patti begin her STEM fellowship in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. This is an exciting time for STEM education given the adoption of the new national 5-year STEM education strategic plan and the Administration’s priority in STEM education. Patti will be a wonderful asset to our team and we are grateful to STEM Next and the Mott Foundation for their vision and support for this position,” said Jim Blew, Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.
Contact Patti at Patti.Curtis@ed.gov
Background on the Fellowship
The Robert Noyce/Ellen Lettvin Informal STEM Education Fellowship, created in 2014, supports the US Department of Education’s efforts to enhance STEM teaching and learning through existing programs such as Innovation Research, Supporting Effective Educator Development, Teacher Quality Partnerships Programs, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants.
As the Robert Noyce/Ellen Lettvin Informal STEM Education Fellow, Curtis will support the Department of Education’s STEM efforts and work in collaboration with other Federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Park Service (NPS), the Corporation for Community and National Service (e.g., the STEM AmeriCorps program), Smithsonian Science Education Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Agriculture (e.g., 4-H). In the past, this has included representing the Department on key interagency efforts, such as the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Federal Coordination in STEM Education Task Force (FC-STEM), and the Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM).
The Robert Noyce/Ellen Lettvin Informal STEM Education Fellowship is made possible through the support of the STEM Next Opportunity Fund, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and Ellen’s family, friends, and colleagues who have contributed to the Ellen Lettvin STEM Education Fund. Candidates for the fellowship are selected based on their deep expertise in STEM, familiarity with federal education policy, and the ability to build strong partnerships inside and outside government.