New STEM Education position will facilitate PHHI outreach into the classroom

Amy Bowman, a National Board-certified teacher, recently joined the Extension team at N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Bowman will develop and implement STEM-based instructional initiatives related to the research efforts by PHHI faculty. These might include classroom modules with hands-on activity kits, web resources or targeted lab demonstrations.

“Amy’s science background and expertise in education and curriculum development is a vital addition to our Extension and outreach efforts,” says Jonathan Baros, PHHI Extension Director. “Having this dedicated STEM position will provide a mechanism to collaborate with educators and students without pulling the researchers out of the lab to deliver a presentation.” Furthermore, Bowman will be able to develop materials that can be integrated into the Common Core Standards, adapting the same content to multiple grade levels.

She began her career gaining clinical lab experience as a microbiologist and virologist in Indiana. For the past 15 years, she has been teaching math and science in middle schools in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties; most recently at JN Fries STEM Magnet School. “I’m excited about this opportunity to combine my professional backgrounds of biology and teaching to develop engaging STEM materials for teachers and students,” says Bowman.

In 2015, Bowman participated in Cabarrus County Schools, STEMersion, which included a visit to the Plants for Human Health Institute. Bowman recalls, “The one-day workshop at PHHI really built my interest in the opportunities that exist here. Even as I was participating in one of the lab activities that day, I found myself thinking about how it would fit into my curriculum.”

Bowman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN, and completed her teacher licensure and Master of Education in Middle and Secondary Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Bowman and her husband Chuck live in Concord. They have four grown children and enjoy camping, hiking and whitewater kayaking in their free time.