Rayelynn Brandl

Brandl, Rayelynn
Primary Institution:
Montana Technology University
Butte MT
Department:
Clark Fork Watershed Education Program
Position(s):
Director
Current SEPA Project
  • PHAGES: Phagedigging Helping Acquire Genuine Experiences in Science
    R25GM132951-01 : 08/21/2019 - 07/31/2024

    • The PHAGES program director, Rayelynn Brandl, serves as Director of the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program at Montana Tech. Ms. Brandl has extensive experience developing teacher professional development programming. She has served as the PI for four successfully implemented Math and Science Partnership (MSP) grants, two of which were extended several years past the original grant cycle. Her current project, Montana Partnership with Regions for Excellence in STEM (MPRES) is highly regarded by all participating teachers and administrators and has recently been requested as the preferred professional development program for several local school districts.

    Through MPRES, Ms. Brandl and her partners trained teacher leaders who provide training in the NGSS for teachers in their home districts and in districts throughout the state. The MSP projects directed by Ms. Brandl had high retention of teachers, with approximately 90 % of teachers who entered the MSP programs completing the program. Ms. Brandl has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to connect higher education faculty members and K-12 educators. Ms. Brandl developed and managed the projects’ budgets; coordinated the workshops; provided leadership and direction for the core planning team; and presented the project results at regional and national education conferences.

    In addition to her work with the MSP projects, Ms. Brandl and her team have developed outreach programming for students within the Clark Fork Watershed. Within this program, students learn about the damages to the Clark Fork from historic mining practices. Students engage in citizen science projects, gathering water quality data about the streams and rivers nearby their school. Through this project, the CFWEP team serves approximately 4,000 students annually. To date, CFWEP has served over 40,000 students under the direction of Ms. Brandl. Ms. Brandl has recently completed her MS in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus on science education research methods. She was honored in 2019 with NSTA Distinguished Informal Educator Award, the 2017 with the Award of Excellence in Education from Montana State University-Billings, the 2010 AmeriCorps Excellence in Service Learning Award for mentoring, and the Montana School Boards Association 2012 Exemplary Service Award.

    Associated SEPA Project(s)