Sue Allen is a Senior Research Scientist at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, where she has been since August of 2013. Sue received her Ph.D. in Mathematics and Science Education from the University of California at Berkeley, and served as Director of Visitor Research & Evaluation at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, where she spent 15 years studying learning on the museum floor. From 2008-2011 she had various roles at the National Science Foundation, including leading the Informal Science Education (subsequently renamed AISL) program, and the Division of Research on Learning. She currently leads a Noyce-funded project to provide highly engaging online professional development to afterschool providers around the nation, using peer-coaching and video-based reflective activities. She is particularly interested in methods for assessing learning, system-level thinking about learning ecosystems, and research-practice partnerships. She has served on several national expert committees to characterize STEM learning in out-of-school settings. Outside of work, Sue loves to go game-watching on her occasional trips to her homeland of South Africa. She is also an avid diver and enjoys time in nature.
