Kimberley Preston is a Researcher at Oregon State University’s STEM Research Center. She is a science education researcher, with experience in both quantitative and qualitative methods. Her research and evaluation project portfolio spans across the formal and informal science learning spaces and includes topics as diverse as exploring the visitor experience at zoos and aquariums to progressing engineering workforce development.

Prior to her work at the STEM Research Center, Kimberley worked in a variety of fields such as aquaculture, makerspaces, and international immigration. She has experience as an informal science educator and in designing educational activities addressing ecological and natural history concepts for diverse audiences.

Kimberley completed her Master of Science in Environmental Sciences with a focus in Environmental Education, from Oregon State University where she explored nature-connectedness of students enrolled in outdoor recreation training programs. She received her B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences and B.A. in International Studies from Oregon State University.

Kimberley’s research interests include STEM learning ecosystems, deep learning and skills transfer, outdoor education, informal science learning, and the affective dimensions of learning.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Projects:

• Authentic Research through Collaborative Learning (ARC-Learn): Undergraduate Research Experiences in Data Rich Arctic Science
• Developing Integrative Manufacturing and Production Engineering Curricula That Leverage Data Science (IMPEL) (2019-2022)
• Examining the Role of Authenticity in Informal Science Learning (2019-2021)
• Gulf of Maine Research Institute LabVenture (2018-2023)
• L'SPACE (2019-2025)
• The Circuit: A Platform for Increasing Access to, Deepening and Researching Patterns of Family and Adult Participation in Informal Science (2019-2023)
• Well-Rounded Access Program (WRAP) (2022-2025)

Past Projects:

• Convergence Accelerator Phase I (RAISE): Analytics-Driven Accessible Pathways to Impacts-Validated Education (ADAPTIVE) (2019-2020)
• Explorer at Large Pilot Implementation (2017-2020)
• Oregon STEM Hubs Evaluation (2016-2019)
• STEM Beyond School (2016-2019)
• STEM Matters: Investigating the Confluence of Visitor and Institutional Agendas (2016-2020)