Stacey Lowery Bretz

Professional Title
Professor of Chemistry
Organization/Institution
About Me (Bio)
Stacey Lowery Bretz biography

• Professor of Chemistry at Miami University in Oxford, OH (2005 – present)
• B.A. in chemistry at Cornell University (1989)
• M.S. in chemistry, Penn State University (1991)
• Ph.D. in chemistry education research (CER), Cornell University (1994)
• post-doc in CER at Berkeley (1994-1995), directed evaluation for a National Systemic Initiative in chemistry
• Assistant Professor, University of Michigan-Dearborn investigatied curriculum reform in general chemistry (1995-2000)
• Associate Professor, Youngstown State University where her graduate program in CER gained a national reputation as a highly effective model for the professional development of high school chemistry teachers (2000-2005)

• Dr. Bretz’s current research focuses upon the assessment of student learning, development and validation of assessment measures, the application of cognitive science theories and qualitative methodologies to CER, inquiry in the laboratory, and children & chemistry.
• research has been funded (in excess of $2M) by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and Ohio Board of Regents.
• has published 50 papers and given more than 100 invited seminars to date
• has served on the Board of Trustees for the American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Education Examinations Institute since 2003, serving as Chair of the Board since 2009
• AAAS fellow, 2009
• Member, National Academy of Science National Research Council Committee on Discipline-Based Education Research, 2009- present
• chaired the Gordon Research Conference on CER, 2005
• won the E. Phillips Knox Award for Undergraduate Education at Miami University, 2009 (highest university award)
• won Distinguished Professor of Teaching (2003) and Distinguished Professor of Research (2005) Awards at Youngstown State (highest university awards)
Keywords
Miami University
09/01/2007

In response to the critical need for scholars with deep content knowledge in chemistry and the specialized training to conduct CER, this capacity building project prepares scholars whose research marries expertise in instrument design with extensive literature on chemistry misconceptions, resulting in the development of concept inventories as reliable and valid measures of student learning for use by chemistry teachers (both high school and post-secondary) and chemistry education researchers.