Natalie King

Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Science Education, University of Florida
M.Ed., Special Education, University of Florida
B.S., Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, specializing in Exercise Physiology, University of Florida

K-12 science education with an emphasis on middle grades science experiences, advancing African-American girls in STEM, community-based informal STEM programs, and the role of curriculum in fostering equity in science teaching and learning.

Natalie King is an associate professor of science education in the College of Education & Human Development’s Department of Middle and Secondary Education. Her scholarly work focuses on kindergarten-12th-grade science education with an emphasis on the role of curriculum in fostering equity in science teaching and learning. Her research primarily examines the science learning experiences of African-American girls in the middle grades and the impact of community-based informal STEM programs.

King received a B.S. in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology (specializing in Exercise Physiology), a M.Ed. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (specializing in science education) from the University of Florida, where she was the recipient of the College of Education’s and University of Florida’s Outstanding Graduate Student Awards. Natalie King is a recipient of the Educational Access Institute’s 2017 Keeper of the Caribbean Legacy Award and a 2017 recipient of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching’s (NARST) Jhumki Basu Scholar Award. She also received the Florida Commission on the Status of Women’s Florida Achievement Award for her commitment to improving the lives of Florida women by serving as a positive role model for women and girls in her community.

King was formerly the science education project associate for the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant – the University of Florida Unites Teachers to Reform Education in Science (U-FUTuRES) and co-PI for a National Science Foundation I-Corps L project, U-FUTuRES: Preparing a New Generation of Middle Grades Science Teacher Leaders. As a former high school science teacher, she is passionate about preparing populations who are underrepresented in the STEM disciplines to become this generation’s scientists, engineers and mathematicians. King is the founder of I AM STEM Camps, where the slogan is “transforming the face of STEM one community at a time.” She partners with community-based organizations to provide high-quality K-12 STEM programs that embrace students’ cultural and lived experiences. She believes that even if students decide not to pursue a STEM career, they should still be equipped with the knowledge, resources, and skillsets to make informed decisions as scientifically-literate and critically-conscious global citizens. Her work is published in the “New International Race and Education” book series, Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals, and the Middle Grades Research Journal.