Jeff Weld

Jeffrey "Jeff" Weld (born August 17, 1960 in Glendale, California) is a science educator serving as executive director of the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council STEM since its launch in July, 2011. He is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Weld is a prolific author, focusing on surmounting impediments to high quality science teaching. As a secondary school science teacher he was awarded as Ciba-Geigy 1993 Life Science Teacher of the Year in Iowa, the 1994 Pella Corporation Focus on Teaching Excellence award, and in 1995 a national Access Excellence Fellowship of the Genentech corporation. As a college professor Weld was named national collegiate biology teacher of the year, four-year institutions in 2007 by the National Association of Biology Teachers. In 2013, Weld received an Outstanding Service award from the Iowa Academy of Science and an Alumni Accomplishment Honor from his alma mater, the University of Iowa. In 2014, he received a STEM Champion award from the Triangle Coalition.

Weld is fifth of six offspring (Vicki, Douglas, Rhonda, Sandra, Eric) of single parent Aileen (Feany) Weld, a career government servant, first for the FBI (1951–52) then for the Veterans Administration (1969-1993, now retired). Weld’s father Don had served in the Marine Corp and written for newspapers. Weld spent his early school years 1969 to 1977 in Iowa City, Iowa before relocating to Northampton, Massachusetts and graduating from Northampton High School in 1978. A first-generation collegian, he attended Greenfield Community College in Massachusetts before transferring to the University of Iowa in 1980. He earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary education from the University of Iowa in 1983. After serving Camp Fire youth camps in Anchorage, Alaska followed by ski lodge maintenance at Millers Inn, Winter Park, Colorado, he returned to the University of Iowa for graduate study, completing an endorsement in science education (biology) in 1985. From 1990 to 1992 Weld enrolled in the Master’s program in biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He completed a master's degree in Science Education at the University of Iowa in 1994. In 1998, Weld completed the doctoral program in Science Education at the University of Iowa under John Penick and Robert Yager, earning competencies in ecology for work in predator-prey aquatic population regulation, and endocrinology for work on molt hormone synthesis in Cancer antennarius.

Directing the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council since its inception in July, 2011, Weld previously directed the inter-university collaborative program the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership from 2008 to 2011. Weld also hosts an annual Midwest STEM Leaders Forum and serves on the Boards of the national organizations the Triangle Coalition for STEM Education and the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation. From 2000 to 2008 Dr. Weld occupied a faculty line in the department of biology at the University of Northern Iowa where he created a minor in Natural History Interpretation, taught courses in teacher preparation, published in scholarly and popular press including the popular textbook The Game of Science Education. During his faculty service Weld won $7.2 million in external funding, operated a teachers-in-research program, conducted faculty workshops on interdisciplinarity through Carver Trust grants, presided over the Iowa science teachers association, chaired the campus chapter of the scientific research society Sigma Xi, and served as Provost’s Administrative Fellow for the university’s central administration. From 1998 to 2000, Dr. Weld was an assistant professor in science education at Oklahoma State University.

From 1985 to 1996 Weld taught high school sciences in Mission, Texas (1985-1988), Kirkwood, Missouri (1988 to 1992), and Pella, Iowa (1992-1996) and coached football, wrestling, baseball, basketball, and soccer. During that time he wrote columns for Educational Leadership and Phi Delta Kappan, among others.

Weld resides in Cedar Falls, Iowa with his wife Mary Kathleen Rovane Weld, and has two grown sons, Andrew (Madison) of St. Paul, Minnesota, and David of Denver, Colorado.

Weld is a member of the following organizations: Sigma Xi scientific research society; Epsilon Pi Tau international technology honor society; National Association of Science Writers (NASW); Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE); National Science Teachers Association (NSTA); Iowa Academy of Science (IAS); Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM).