LauraJean is the President and Director of Education for Interstellar Inspirations, LLC. She is a Science Education and Public Outreach Specialist and an effective Motivational Speaker as well as a member of the prestigious Explorer’s Club. LauraJean is a noted expert on the public understanding of science and on accessible programming and has advised various organizations, including NASA, on the principles of universal design and establishing inclusive environments for people that are differently abled. LauraJean strives to improve the scientific literacy of everyone that she encounters and enjoys illuminating the wonders of science to all audiences, (pre-K to Gray), through inclusive programming. The goal of her company, Interstellar Inspirations, LLC is to share Universal Instructional Design practices and to encourage program creation that will reach the most diversified audiences. LauraJean has presented over 2000 public programs to date reaching over 230,000 people and has mentored many young adults pursuing STEAM careers.

LauraJean is currently employed as the Environmental Specialist of Educational Programs, and is a Clean Communities Coordinator, for the Bergen County Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Protection, Division of Environmental Health. In these roles, LauraJean develops and provides quality educational programming and enrichment lectures to Bergen County residents. She strives to inspire students to pursue STEAM careers by providing data-driven, inquiry-based, and hands-on science education. She also develops and provides teacher training workshops to Bergen County educators.

LauraJean worked in the financial industry from 1986 until May of 2001 when she graduated from Bergen Community College with an Associate in Science degree in General Science. She then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in 2006 from Columbia University focusing her studies in the areas of Environmental Biology, Ecology, and Evolution with a concentration on captive polar bear enrichment programs, viruses, and invasive species. Her work on enrichment program research, conducted for the Wildlife Conservation Society in cooperation with Columbia University, is being used in zoos around the world. LauraJean is often called upon to share her research with organizations to help animals in captivity live richer lives. LauraJean also holds a Master’s degree in Biology, Ecology, and Evolution from Montclair State University and is currently working on her thesis which focuses on her tick research in Bergen County. LauraJean was the first to record the Lone Star tick in the County of Bergen after a five year research project focused on acquiring and identifying ticks removed from wildlife.

LauraJean has been a volunteer at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City since 2000 and serves as an Earth and Space Explainer. She also served as the speaker concierge for the AMNH’s annual Isaac Asimov debate and monthly Frontier’s lectures for twenty five years. She is currently contracted by the Museum as a Hayden Planetarium lecturer and provides Family Science programming to museum audiences.

LauraJean has been a volunteer with the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors Program since 2003 and began her volunteer service in the NASA/JPL Solar System Educators Program in 2010. LauraJean also served as a Master Astrobiology Teacher and was a collaborating partner with the NASA Astrobiology Institute. She has served as a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassador Master Teacher since January 2014. LauraJean also served as a National Space Science Education Consortium (NSSEC) collaborating partner with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center serving as a consultant for Universal Instructional Design programming.

LauraJean creates programming and products that adhere to the Universal Instructional Design paradigm. She also provides Universal Instructional Design (UID) professional development workshops to educators throughout the year. Her “No Star Out of Reach” program was awarded the 2013 Challenger Center for Space Science Education Innovation Award. LauraJean currently serves as a science advisor to the Buehler Challenger & Science Center. In addition, she provides consulting services to any organization, venue, and/or facility to guide them in making their programs and facilities as accommodating, inclusive, and universally designed as possible.

LauraJean will be happy to visit your facility, organization, and/or school and reveal the latest scientific discoveries in an enthusiastic, educational, and uplifting program. Please use the contact link above to book Laura for a speaking engagement, teacher workshop, classroom visit or public program.