Biology instructor named BioInteractive Ambassador

Published 09.30.2020

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Howard Hughes Medical Institute has named Karen L. Avery, instructor of biology at Pennsylvania College of Technology, a BioInteractive Ambassador Academy member.

Avery is among 30 high school and undergraduate educators from 22 U.S. states and Canada selected from about 400 applicants.



Karen L. AveryAccording to HHMI, the BioInteractive Ambassador Academy members, appointed for 2020-23, are “thoughtful, passionate and dedicated education professionals committed to high-quality life and environmental science teaching.”

The educators participated in an extensive application process focused on their teaching approach and experience. Over the next three years, the academy members will engage in professional learning experiences to equip them to promote and support evidence-based teaching practices, drive change in science education, and elevate the professional and scholarly profile of science teaching. As well, they will engage in a variety of activities to empower science educators and inspire their students, including designing and facilitating professional learning for other educators.

Avery earned a Master of Science degree in biology from Bloomsburg University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology with an education minor from Lycoming College. She is a doctoral student in STEM education at the University of Pittsburgh.

A member of the Penn College faculty since 2017, Avery has been an educator at the high school and college levels for 16 years. She is an active member of the National Association of Biology Teachers. Each year, she supports biology educators by co-coordinating an annual biology teaching workshop with Lycoming College and BLaST Intermediate Unit 17.

Headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, HHMI is a science philanthropy whose mission is to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity.

To learn more about courses in natural sciences offered by Penn College’s School of Business, Arts & Sciences, call 570-327-4521.

For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free at 800-367-9222.