Meet Board Member Yvette McCulley

Yvette McCulley is the science consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. In this position, she coordinates the Every Learner Inquires state initiative, the Math/Science Partnerships program, facilitates state STEM initiatives and of course, other duties as assigned. She is working as the Iowa Department of Education liaison with Area Education Agency 14 for the implementation of the Iowa Core. Prior to joining the Department of Education in 2007, McCulley worked as a classroom teacher, lead science teacher, instructional strategist, principal, magnet science program facilitator and magnet coordinator in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska, and the Des Moines, Iowa areas. Ms. McCulley received her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa, her M.S. from Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, in Educational Administration, and an Educational Specialist Degree from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, in Educational Leadership. Yvette is currently working with the Doctoral Cohort at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She plans to have her dissertation complete by spring of 2011.

Ms. McCulley received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2000. She spent October of 2005 researching fish in Antarctica with a group of medical scientists from Creighton University from Omaha, Nebraska. Yvette serves as the educational liaison to the Space Foundation in Colorado. She is the current Central Regional Director for NESTA. At the NSTA Conference in Philly, she participated in her very first Rock and Mineral Raffle and actually won a specimen of Pink Dolomite!

In her free time, she enjoys water aerobics, reading, shopping, playing with Anna, the dog, and of course spending time with eight grandchildren.