Jason Belter Email and Phone Number

I have been fortunate enough in my career to have a very diverse training in science and science education. From undergraduate research experiences, graduate school, and research experiences for teachers, I have worked in nine different labs ranging across multiple biology fields including cancer, agriculture, evolution, microbiology, as well as materials science and astrophysics. I have leveraged these experiences extensively in my time as both a science teacher and an educational leader while serving on multiple school boards.Leveraging those experiences as a science teacher has been a real joy. Whether it was teaching 6th grade science, AP chemistry, genetics, or almost anything in between, bringing those ideas from the forefront of research into the classroom has excited and engaged my students. From labs working with biodegradable polymers and ‘marathon’ mice to discussions of gravitational lensing and cancer genetics, finding ways to give all students a front row seat to on-going research has been both rewarding and successful in the classroom.My primary experiences as an educational leader have been as both a Board member and department chair at Nova. One of the my most significant achievements of during that time has been developing our Senior Thesis program where all our seniors have to research and develop a topic of interest. I wanted to make sure all of our graduates had the chance to experience research in whatever areas interested them, so I pushed for this course to be a graduation requirement, and since 2013 I have advised numerous students on research ideas ranging across math and science fields. Invariably stoking that interest in research leads our creative and passionate students into areas where I have less expertise, learning from them however is just as exciting as teaching them.A significant part of my 12+ years of Board experience has built on my analytical skills in very different ways. Evaluating policies, executive directors, and budgets each have required somewhat different perspectives to think about. In every case though, I have found that asking questions, building models of the situation, and testing have been invaluable tools for making good decisions. This framework has allowed me to navigate dramatic changes in my role as a Board member: when I started at Nova was still relatively small and new compared to the mature organization it is today. The start-up atmosphere of the early days required an all hands on deck mentality, while today the Board focus is on strategic thinking not day to day affairs.