The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation announced the appointment of Jeffrey J. Rozelle as Director of its Teaching Fellows Program. Rozelle earned a Ph.D. in curriculum, teaching and educational policy from MSU in 2010. The KSTF Teaching Fellows Program—the Foundation’s signature program—offers stipends, funds for professional development, grants for teaching materials, and opportunities for leadership development and mentoring for early-career STEM teachers through a comprehensive five-year Fellowship designed to build a stable, sustainable cadre of networked leading teachers, who are trained and supported as leaders from the beginning of their careers.
“Jeff has been a tremendous asset to KSTF as a Senior Program Officer, and we are grateful that his talent, experience and commitment will now serve the entire Teaching Fellows Program. I look forward to seeing what our staff and Fellows will accomplish under his leadership,” said Executive Director of KSTF Nicole Gillespie.
“Our Teaching Fellows consistently inspire me with their innovative teaching, and their commitment to and passion for the profession. I’m amazed by the extraordinary impact they have on their local contexts, especially at such an early stage in their careers,” Rozelle commented. “They work hard to create lasting and substantial change in STEM education, and I’m honored to lead a program that invests in the development and support of a community of outstanding STEM teachers.”
Jeff began his career in the Cincinnati Public School District, where he taught science for nine years. While working with student teachers from local universities and leading district-wide professional development, he developed an interest in teacher education. In 2005, Jeff enrolled in a doctoral program in curriculum, teaching and educational policy at MSU. His dissertation focused on the ways student teachers develop a practice as they navigate teacher education and their field placements; it was awarded the 2011 Outstanding Doctoral Research Award by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching.