Staff Spotlight: Meghan Groome, PhD
Meghan Groome, PhD is proud to oversee the Junior Academy program, which aims to make students passionate about STEM and confident in their abilities.
Tell us what you do for the Academy.
The Education team runs a portfolio of programs that span PreK to 12, higher education and professional learning.
What has — so far — been your proudest accomplishment working for the Academy?
One of my proudest moments was when we inducted over 2,000 high school students into the Academy as young members. As a teacher it’s incredible to reach so many students through our virtual programs and we work hard – on the program and platform side – to ensure access through design and support.
What makes you proud to work for the Academy?
I’m proud to be part of an organization that believes in science for the public good. I was drawn to science to help people and our work links and leverages the power of the individual scientist to make a much larger collective impact.
Tell us about your STEM journey. How did you first become interested in science? How did you get to where you are today?
I always loved science and was first recognized as a “good scientist” by my 4th grade teacher. I was always good at biology – I even got a varsity letter in science in high school! After finishing my biology degree, I took a year off to study for the GREs and apply to grad school. I took a job teaching high school chem and physics and fell in love with teaching. Science, for me, has always been about making the world a better place and I’m proud of my career as an educator and an educational researcher who focuses on increasing access.
Why do you think science is so important to society?
To me, science is a tool that we can use to change the world for the better and solve problems that are meaningful to us as individuals. Every year, I see hundreds of science projects and thousands of scientists (young and older) use science to make the world a better place.
Which scientist (or scientists) would you most like to have dinner with and why?
I’ve had some exceptional teachers and professors growing up and I’d love to go back in time and observe their classes. As one knows, you never eat around your science experiments!
What hobbies or interests do you have outside of work?
As a parent, its hard-to-find time for hobbies and interests. For years my primary hobby has been as a book worm, often reading over a hundred books a year. But as my kids have gotten older I’ve restarted my hobbies including watercolor painting, fishing, skiing and recently I joined a local choir.
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