Jenna Gist
Postdoctoral Researcher
Science Education,
Curriculum and Instruction
Email:
clingerm@purdue.edu
About
Dr. Jenna Gist is a postdoctoral scholar in science education. She is currently working under Dr. Rebekah Hammack on an NSF-funded project entitled, “Investigating how combining intensive professional development and modest support affects rural, elementary teachers’ science and engineering practice” (STEM Strong). Dr. Gist is also serving as the Assistant to the Executive Director for the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) and working as an adjunct professor at American University in Washington D.C.
Education
- Ph.D.- Science Education, Purdue University (2025)
- Qualitative Research Certificate, Purdue University (2025)
- MS.Ed.- Science Education, Purdue University (2021)
- Project WET, Project WILD, and Aquatic WILD Certified (2021)
- Project Learning Tree Certified (2021)
- B.S.- Human Biology, Boise State University (2018)
Career Experience
- 2025- Present
Postdoctoral Researcher, Investigating how combining intensive professional development and modest support affects rural, elementary teachers’ science and engineering practice (STEM Strong)
NSF-funded project; PI: Dr. Ryan Summers; Co-PI: Dr. Rebekah Hammack
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2024-Present
Adjunct Instructor, Elementary Science Methods
School of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program
American University, Washington, D.C. - 2024-2025
Graduate Research Assistant, Investigating how combining intensive professional development and modest support affects rural, elementary teachers’ science and engineering practice (STEM Strong)
NSF-funded project; PI: Dr. Ryan Summers; Co-PI: Dr. Rebekah Hammack
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2020-2024
Graduate Research Assistant, Using Principles of Design to Advance Teacher Education (UPDATE)
NSF-funded project; PI: Dr. Brenda Capobianco
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2020-2024
Instructor of Record/Graduate Teaching Assistant
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Department of Biological Sciences
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Awards & Honors
- Purdue University Graduate School’s Excellence in Teaching Award
*Highest award presented by Purdue University in recognition of graduate student instructors
2024 - Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award
Purdue University, College of Education
2023-2024 - Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Award
Purdue University, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
2023-2024 - College of Education Dean’s Dissertation Scholarship
Purdue University, College of Education
2023-2024 - Jane and Michael Wilson Doctoral Science Education Award
Purdue University, College of Education
2022-2023 - Travel Award
Purdue University, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
2022, 2023, 2024 - Lynn Fellowship
Purdue University, Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs
2018-2019
Professional Affiliations/Memberships
- National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), 2022-Present
- National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), 2021-Present
- The Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), 2020-Present
- Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc. (HASTI), 2020-Present
Research & Publications
My research centers on the learning and development of preservice and inservice elementary teachers, with a focus on supporting high-quality science and engineering instruction. One strand of my research investigates how elementary preservice teachers develop science teacher identities in response to contemporary reform efforts such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). I am particularly interested in how elementary preservice teachers make sense of and navigate the multiple, intersecting identities they hold as they learn to teach science and engineering. I also have a strong interest in examining the challenges preservice teachers face when learning about and implementing various reform-based teaching approaches in science education (e.g., engineering design; phenomenon-driven instruction; three-dimensional learning), and how their science teaching self-efficacy informs their identity development. A second strand of my research focuses on inservice elementary teachers. I am particularly interested in investigating how sustained professional learning experiences impact inservice teachers’ disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge related to reform-based science teaching approaches and their abilities to mentor preservice teachers in utilizing these approaches to teach science and engineering.
Selected Publications
- Gist, J., Capobianco, B. M. (2025). The use of journey mapping to reveal an elementary preservice teacher’s reform-minded science teacher identity development. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2025.2516291
- Gist, J., Radloff, J., Zaccagnini, G. (2024). Elementary preservice teachers’ engagement in a life-science oriented engineering design task promotes their knowledge of life science and engineering assessment. School Science and Mathematics, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12650
- Gist, J., Schuler, B., Quinlan, H., & Nunan, K. (2023). Community as a catalyst: Identity and agency development. Multicultural Perspectives, 25(1), 72-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2023.2182054
- Pal, A.S., Agredo, A., Lanman, N.A., Son, J., Sohal, I.S., Bains, M., Li, C., Clingerman, J., Gates, K., & Kasinski, A.L. (2022). Loss of KMT5C promotes EGFR inhibitor resistance in NSCLC via LINC01510-mediated upregulation of MET. Cancer Research, 82(8), 1534-1547. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-0821
- Capobianco, B. M., Radloff, J., & Clingerman, J. (2021). Facilitating preservice elementary science teachers’ shift from learner to teacher of engineering design-based science teaching. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-021-10193-y
- Cornell, K. A., Benfield, K., Berntsen, T., Clingerman, J., Croteau, A., Goering, S., Moyer, D., Provost, M., White, A., Plumlee, D., Oxford, J. T., & Browning, J. (2020). A Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Discharge Device Exerts Antimicrobial Effects. International Journal of Latest Trends in Engineering & Technology: IJLTET, 15(3), 036–41.
Courses Typically Taught
Purdue University
- BIOL 69500, Teaching Assistant Professional Development
- EDCI 36500, Teaching Science in the Elementary School
- BIOL 20500 and 20600, Biology for Elementary School Teachers
- BIOL 20400, Human Anatomy and Physiology
American University
- EDU 456, Teaching Science in the Elementary School
- EDU 604, Teaching Science in the Elementary School