Shelly Grandell
Ed-GRS Fellow
Shelly Grandell is the current Associate Director of Education and Outreach for the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she works with researchers, students, and teachers to increase STEM visibility, accessibility, and identity. She has spent the last 24 years getting people excited about science! Fourteen of those years were spent teaching in middle school science/GT classrooms in the Denver area, inspiring students to explore and embrace their curiosity. Outside of the classroom, she leads and develops successful outreach programming, such as her Traveling Telescopes initiatives, and her work with the CO and WI Title 1 Part C Education Programs.
Shelly grew up in the beautiful San Luis Valley in southern Colorado, where she is a proud alumnus of BEUNO HEP and TRIO Programs, including McNair Scholars Program(Colorado State University Geophysics-04). Shelly obtained her B.S in Geology-’04 and M.A. in Secondary Science Education-‘08 from her hometown HSI, Adams State University, in Southern Colorado where she met her husband, Josh, also a San Luis Valley native and ASU graduate (Biochemistry ‘04). Their daughter, Cadence, is studying environmental science at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Shelly is currently a doctoral student in the Curriculum and Instruction department at UW-Madison, focusing on examining the historical structure of science education practices and STEM Ed initiatives, and interrogating student and public relationship/entanglements with STEM.
Publications
Gillian-Daniel, Anne Lynn and Grandell, Shelly “Engaging underserved audiences with materials science” MRS Bulletin , v.49 , 2024 https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-024-00681-1
Grandell, S., et al. “Teaching Nature of Science Concepts in the Context of Past (Fram) and Present (MOSAiC) Arctic Expeditions.” Science Scope, vol. 44, no. 4, 1 Mar. 2021, pp. 20–28., www.nsta.org/science-scope/science-scope-marchapril-2021/teaching-nature-science-concepts-context-past-fram-and
Harry, D. L., and S. Grandell. “A Dynamic Model of Rifting between Galicia Bank and Flemish Cap during the Opening of the North Atlantic Ocean.” Geological Society, London, Special Publications, vol. 282, no. 1, 2007, pp. 157–172., doi:10.1144/sp282.8.
Educational Material Development
Grandell, S., Crone, W. Evans, P, Gillian-Daniel, A.L “Patterns at Play, How Atomic Patterns Determine Function”, last modified January 2024 available at:
Grandell, S., Lackey, Greg “Water use in Hydraulic Fracturing” last modified 2021. Available at: https://insideenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Water-Use-in-Hydraulic-Fracturing.pdf
Grandell, S. Hellman, Tori, Bradford, Rebecca, “Make a Fracking Model Activity” last modified 2021. Available at: https://insideenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Make-a-Fracking-Model-Activity.pdf
Select Workshops & Presentations
S. Grandell Cultivating Curiosity through formal and informal STEM Experiences, Partnership for Education and Research in Materials Kickoff Event Workshop, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, October 2024
S. Grandell, Gillian-Daniel, A.L, Living in a Material World, Space Foundation Symposium Educators Workshop, April 17, 2023
C. Vaughn-Lee, S. Grandell, Student Voice in K-12 Photography, History and Memory During COVID-19, American Federation of Teacher Share My Lesson Virtual Conference, March 25, 2021
Committees & Service
Education Advisory Board Member – Global Oneness Project
Developer and Program Lead – Traveling Telescopes Project
NSTA conference proposal reviewer.
NSF Proposal Reviewer – Directorate for Engineering (ENG) .
Teach Engineering content reviewer.
Colorado Migrant Education Program STEAM Academy – program developer and teacher of record.
Awards
Pella Science Education Fellowship