Instructors

Kathy Bertram
Science Education Outreach Director
Geophysical Institute
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Ph.D., Science Education, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010; M.P.A., Environmental Science Education Outreach, Indiana University, 1983; B.A., Environmental Science Outreach, Wittenberg University, 1980.

Kathy Bertram is the Geophysical Institute Science Education Director director and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Science Education Outreach Network Director. She has worked with scientists at the Geophysical Institute since 1991. She specializes in indigenous science education, and has created many education programs for Alaska Native students.

She has developed curriculum and teacher education programs used throughout rural and urban Alaska, including Aurora Alive, the Science Teacher Education Program, the Arctic Climate Modeling Program and the Alaska Tsunami Education Program. She also has developed education programs for Native Hawaiian students, including Volcanoes Alive. Her funded grants have
enabled children in underprivileged areas of the state to enjoy relevant instruction based on the latest science. Their teachers also have benefited from detailed lesson plans, professional development, and partnerships Bertram has fostered between teachers and scientists. She has created
opportunities for children and adults from rural Alaska to visit Fairbanks to participate in enrichment programs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In many cases, these opportunities provide their first glimpse at city life
and higher education environments.