Holly Plank is a current PhD student in the Learning Sciences and Policy Program in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her master’s in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma. She holds a B.S. in Earth and Space Science, Secondary Education, and a minor in International Studies. Her current research interests include teacher education, STEAM, computational thinking, and environmental justice.

She is a former middle school science and physical science teacher, school leader, and instructional coach. As an instructional coach, Holly supported preservice and novice K-12 teachers in a variety of core subject and STEM electives with curriculum development, culturally sustaining pedagogy, learning environment planning, family engagement, real-time coaching, and more.

As a graduate student researcher, Holly has worked on research projects including research-practice partnerships, supporting STEAM and computer science pathways, and environmental justice. Her current projects include understanding how historically underrepresented youth can transform STEM education. Through two grants from the Grable Foundation and National Science Foundation, she works with ten schools across Pennsylvania to study how the co-designed, student-driven curriculum can transform STEM.