Oregon Coast STEM Hub announced they have hired Stacia Fletcher as the new director. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub partners have been working diligently to improve and guide integrated STEM education along the coast. Fletcher said “I am excited to be joining the Oregon Coast STEM Hub as Director in early June.”  Her role will be to advance the work by providing strategic leadership, resource development, and public exposure.  “I hope to draw from my experiences in science, program leadership in informal science education, and formal teaching – while working in the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and communication – to move STEM Hub initiatives along the coast to the next level.”

The Oregon Coast STEM Hub promotes integrated science, technology, engineering and math education and serves coastal teachers, students and communities.  It is one of several Regional hubs funded by the Oregon Department of Education and is centered at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Their services are focused on the entire Oregon coast region. Employment opportunities along the Oregon Coast have been growing in fields such as scientific research, marine technology, natural resource management, and eco-tourism.  To prepare our local students for jobs in these and other STEM fields, and to help improve STEM literacy among all citizens, the Hub seeks to expand and improve the opportunities for students and teachers to engage in STEM learning.