Faculty Profile

Degrees

PHD, New York Univ (NYU); MA, Hofstra Univ; BS, CUNY City Coll

Bio

Janice Koch Ph.D. is a Professor of Science Education at Hofstra University on Long Island, New York where she directs IDEAS- the Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences. This outreach institute fosters the public understanding of science as well as furthering the professional development of pre-college teachers in science and technology.

Dr. Koch is the current President (2007-2008) of the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), an organization that promotes excellence in science teacher education world-wide through scholarship and innovation. ASTE is comprised of science teacher educators, scientists, science coordinators and supervisors, and informal science educators who prepare and provide professional development for teachers of science at all grade levels.

A native New Yorker, Janice grew up in the east Bronx and attended the Bronx High School of Science. She received a B.S. degree in Biology from the City College of New York, a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Hofstra University and a Ph.D. degree in Education from New York University. She teaches courses in elementary, middle school and secondary science methods, gender issues in the classroom, and techniques of classroom research. She has many publications in edited texts and professional journals addressing science education, gender and science and making science accessible to underrepresented groups. She is the author of Science Stories: Science methods for elementary and middle school teachers (Houghton Mifflin, 2005) and the forthcoming introduction to education textbook, So You Want to be a Teacher? Teaching and learning in the 21st Century (Houghton Mifflin, 2009). Dr. Koch consults broadly to schools all over the country and has spent time in Australia addressing how we encourage the participation of young people in science and engineering.

Dr. Koch is a recipient of the Hofstra University Teacher of the Year (1996) Award and the Hofstra University Alumni Achievement Award (2003). She was named one of the Top Fifty Women on Long Island by Long Island Business News in 2004 and 2005. She is known for her enthusiasm and excitement about science in the daily life of the classroom.