David Steele, PhD

STEM Education Faculty
dsteele@aldergse.edu

Pronouns: he/him/his

Dr. David Steele began his career as an educator teaching middle school science in Snellville, Georgia. After three years in this capacity, David made the transition from middle school to high school and from the suburbs of Atlanta to Atlanta Public Schools. As a high school Science Teacher, David had the opportunity to teach a multitude of science courses and had the opportunity to work with state curriculum writers to develop a Genetics/Microbiology split-semester course. For his efforts as a Science Teacher, David was recognized as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow and spent a year at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., developing an understanding of the role this federal agency plays in science education from pre-K to gray. Before coming to Alder, David most recently served as the middle school Gifted Coordinator for Arlington Public Schools in Arlington, Virginia.

David received his PhD in Science Education from the University of Georgia, where his research interests lay in exploring the impacts societal barriers such as heterosexism and heteronormativity have on gay men navigating STEM-related degree programs. While he continues to explore this research avenue, he is also working on multiple projects investigating best practices to ensure a scientifically literate populace. David also holds an Education Specialist (EdS) in Science Education, a Master’s of Education (MEd) in Biology Education, and a Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Microbiology.

Outside of research and teaching, David enjoys family time, traveling, and college athletics.