Jessica Stephenson Reaves

Jessica Stephenson Reaves is an assistant professor of science education at Kennesaw State University. She received her bachelor of science in environmental science from Virginia Tech University, her master's degree in science education from the University of Virginia, and her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction, science education, from Virginia Tech. Stephenson Reaves has over 20 years of experience in science education — as a teacher in middle and high school classrooms in rural areas and in metropolitan classrooms in New York and Abu Dhabi; as a curriculum writer and professional development provider; as a pre-service teacher educator; and as an educational researcher. Throughout her career, her focus has been the intersection between science, society, and equity through a lens of environmental education. In her current role at Kennesaw State University, Stephenson Reaves teaches undergraduate level earth and life science content courses for pre-service elementary teachers, and graduate courses in STEM education and Curriculum and Instruction for master of education and master of arts in teaching students. She also conducts STEM outreach at local K-12 school districts and creates professional development workshops for in-service teachers. Stephenson Reaves’s research interests center on the use of place-based education to address global socioscientific issues, like water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience.