Primary Institution:

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Edwardsville IL

Department:

Center for STEM Research, Education, and Outreach

Position(s):

Director and Professor

Current SEPA Project

Environmental Health Investigators: Building STEM Interest to Promote Careers in the Health Sciences
R25GM129818-03 : 07/01/2019 - 05/31/2024

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Sharon Locke is Professor and Director of the STEM Center. Before joining SIUE, Dr. Locke served two years as Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, where in addition to her guidance in funding of STEM projects she assisted in science teacher training. From 2006 to 2008 she was a program director and cluster coordinator in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings at the National Science Foundation. Her NSF program responsibilities included Academies for Young Scientists, Advanced Technological Education, Discovery Research K-12, Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers, Innovation through Institutional Integration, and International Polar Year. Dr. Locke has been Principal Investigator for programs to support increased participation of students with disabilities in science, including Earth System Science Works (NSF) and Access Earth (NASA), both based at the University of Southern Maine. Dr. Locke has served as a proposal reviewer for several government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Labor, NASA, NSF, and the South African National Research Foundation. From 2003-2006 she was a Distinguished Speaker of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Dr. Locke received a Ph.D. in geosciences from the University of Minnesota.