Catherine McCulloch leads national initiatives that focus on bridging STEM research and practice to improve outcomes for students. An expert in formal and informal STEM learning, she brings extensive experience as a professional developer, course designer, and manager of strategic resource development and dissemination efforts.
As principal investigator of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE), McCulloch works with STEM researchers and developers to make their findings and products accessible for schools, communities, policymakers, and the public. She has also worked closely with the NSF to develop and implement STEM Smart, an initiative to disseminate successful STEM research and evidence-based practices across the United States.
McCulloch has developed and led professional development institutes for science and math mentoring throughout the United States and provided professional development for out-of-school-time program educators. She is the author of Straw Rockets, a Design It! Engineering for Afterschool Programs curriculum series module.
A former teacher and educator, McCulloch holds a BS in creativity in learning and an MEd in elementary education from Lesley University.
“There is something inherently engaging about witnessing a child use their creativity to solve a problem.”
McCulloch, C., Tierney-Fife, P., & Buffington, P. (2016) Research+practice partnerships: Fostering equitable collaboration. Waltham, MA: Education Development Center, Inc.
Williams, D., McCulloch, C., McMahon, T., & Goodyear, L. (2016). Engineering for every K–12 student: A landscape analysis of K–12 engineering education in the Greater Boston Region. Medford, MA: Tufts University.
CADRE. (2013). A targeted study of the DR K–12 engineering education projects. Waltham, MA: Education Development Center, Inc.