Danielle Harlow is a professor of STEM education who focuses on science and engineering learning in formal and informal spaces. She teaches in the Ph.D. and teacher education programs and serves as vice chair of the Department of Education and director of UC Santa Barbara’s Certificate in College and University Teaching program.
Harlow designs, implements, and studies engaging, joyful, and inclusive STEM instruction in formal and informal learning environments. Her design-based projects have included undergraduate physics curricula, engineering museum field trips, K–12 classroom activities and curricula, digital games about quantum computing, professional development, and a certificate program for science museum facilitators and teacher professional development programs. She currently co-directs initiatives to build the capacity of teachers and youth to innovate more sustainable futures by focusing students’ attention on their local environment and taking local action. Her research yields practical and theoretical insights into how students learn science in ways that are meaningful and empowering.
Harlow has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Colorado, Boulder, an M.S. in geophysics from Stanford, and a B.S. in physics from Valparaiso University. She served in the Peace Corps, teaching physics in Tanzania. She is also affiliated faculty for the interdisciplinary Ph.D. emphasis in climate science and climate change and has led multiple large federally funded projects. Harlow partners with experts across disciplines, graduate students, teachers, museum educators and designers, teacher educators, students, makers, and artists to explore and innovate opportunities for all students to see themselves as capable learners.