Amanda began her career as a middle and high school science teacher, engaging in outreach and professional experiences that dramatically impacted her work and teaching philosophy. These experiences included participating in the Zero Gravity Flight program sponsored by Northrop Grumman and leading a K–12 group on an ecological trip to Costa Rica. Since 2014, she has served as the STEM outreach liaison for the Penn State Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS). She co-founded a STEM Learning Ecosystem in central Pennsylvania to drive cross-sector partnerships which established the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program, Remake Learning Days, and STEM Workforce Summits. Amanda, along with other STEM Learning Ecosystem leaders across Pennsylvania, was an integral part of the team to develop the PA STEM Education Policy memo to the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden administration. Currently, she serves as the Director of K-12 Engagement Network, where she is responsible to further bridge K-12 and Penn State University. All K-12 opportunities from Penn State can be found here: https://k12.outreach.psu.edu/. Amanda resides in Bellefonte, PA with her husband, a local math teacher, Jake Smith, and 11 year old daughter, Isabelle.
Follow Amanda at LinkedIn @amandasmithpsu; Instagram @amandajosmith; and Facebook @amandajolenesmith
