Dr. Janell N. Catlin
Vice President, Social Impact & Engagement, FIRST^®

Dr. Janell N. Catlin is the Vice President of Social Impact & Engagement at FIRST^®. She joined FIRST in October 2020 and brings over 25 years of experience as a global STEM education researcher, teacher educator, and champion of STEM education for all learners.
 
Janell has led fundraising campaigns to lay the foundation for building out global STEM and Girls’ Education programs, and she has led STEM and Girls’ Education Initiatives throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Southeast Asia. In this capacity, she has structured the vision, design, and implementation for teacher and school leader professional development and leveraged partnerships to deepen the impact of STEM and Girls’ Education teaching and learning. Furthermore, she has led international STEM consultancies with federal agencies for a funded project in Indonesia, private American schools in China and Vietnam, and for the New York City Department of Education.
 
Janell received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Science Education, and Masters in Pharmacology from Columbia University (New York, USA). She received her Bachelors in Biology from Bennett College (North Carolina, USA). Janell is extremely passionate about engagement for all learners in global STEM and Girls’ Education. In 2019, she co-authored a National Science Teaching Association position statement on Science Education. Janell has been awarded for her scholarship by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching and her alma mater, Bennett College.