Assistant Research Scientist, STEM Education Program and Curriculum Lead
Professional Interests
Leah Madison grew up in rural Nevada, spending most free time hiking, gardening, playing with bugs and ultimately deciding to dedicate her life to protecting the natural world. In 2009, she received her degree in Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. Since then she has worked for private, federal and nonprofit organizations, providing scientific research on native flora, fauna and ecosystems. After trying to make changes to the world on a small scale, Madison took on the much larger task of changing how people relate with the world around them. This led to a goal of helping the community change the way it interacts with the land. Madison joined the Science Alive team in 2014 as an Americorps VISTA (Volunteer In Service to America), and is currently the STEM Education Program Lead. She is specifically focused on extending the program to low-income communities in Nevada, and improving science communication and recognition for research at DRI.
Keywords
Science Alive, Office of Education, Green Box, k-12, STEM pipeline, workforce development, science communication, community
Conference Proceedings
2020
Madison, L. M., Ontiveros, C. (2020). STEM here, STEM there, STEM everywhere; Explore informal STEM offerings with DRI. Nevada State Science Teachers Association k-12 STEM Education Conference: Elko Nevada
Madison, L. M., Kent, R., Israel, E., Wilcox, C. (2020). Explore the free resources of Nevada’s Science Alive Program. Nevada Afterschool Showcase 2020: Las Vegas Nevada, March 10, 2020-March 11, 2020
2019
Madison, L. M. (2019). Science Communication Symposium: Science Communication in Informal and Formal Education Partnerships. The Wildlife Society & American Fisheries Society 2019 Annual joint conference: Reno Nevada, September 29, 2019-October 3, 2019
Madison, L. M. (2019). Sparking interest in NASA themed STEM. 2019 NASA EPSCoR statewide meeting: Reno Nevada, April 1, 2019
2018
Gulling, A. J., Rosen, C. S., Peterson, M. L., Madison, L. M. (2018). What Do You Get When You Cross a Scientist with a Teacher? A True Collaborative Journey!. 2018 NSTA National Conference: Atlanta, GA, March 17, 2018
Peterson, M. L., Madison, L. M. (2018). Spaceward bound, exploring life in extreme environments. Nevada State Science Teachers Association Annual Conference 2018: A science odyssey, February 10, 2018-February 10, 2018
Other
Peterson, M. L., Madison, L. M. (2018). Exploring microclimates, living schoolyard activity guide, Living Schoolyard Activity guide: United States edition (2018), 178. GReen schoolyards america
