Martin Storksdieck

Martin Storksdieck is the director of Oregon State University’s STEM Research Center and a professor in the College of Education and the School of Public Policy.  Prior to joining OSU, Martin directed the Board on Science Education at the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. Martin works in the intersection of research, practice and policy, focused on STEM learning across settings and time. He has previously worked for education and policy non-profits in Germany and the United States. He holds Master’s degrees in biology and public policy, and a Ph.D. in education.

Research/Career Interests: 

Martin's research focuses on what and how we learn when we do so voluntarily (so-called free-choice learning, also referred to as informal or non-formal learning), how learning (no matter where it occurs) is connected to behaviors, identities, beliefs, or career development, and how the field of informal science or STEM education can improve its practices through ongoing professionalization. Increasingly, this work acknowledges the role of learning ecologies, or connected learning that occurs across time and settings. Martin is also studying the role of science-based professionals and science hobbyists in communicating their passions to a broader public, and is focusing on new ways to prepare graduate students in STEM fields for challenges in their professions that are not directly associated with conducting research.