Hannah H. Scherer

Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech

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About me

I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nature and the outdoors have always been an important part of my life, which drew me to study geology. I spent 10 years in the San Francisco Bay area, earning my PhD in geology and then teaching high school science. In 2011, I made a big shift to focus on STEM education in agriculture contexts. My broad research interests are in STEM teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on pedagogical approaches that support systems thinking and culturally relevant teaching in agricultural contexts. I currently live in Blacksburg with my partner and our gray cat, Larry. I love to cook and enjoy making interesting food from quality, seasonal, local ingredients. You can typically find me knitting during most quiet moments.

Focus of current FEW-Nexus-based education work

My work centers on systems approaches to using agriculture as a context for STEM education, primarily in secondary and non-formal educational settings. I see the FEW-Nexus as an integrated framework with significant potential to help learners develop transferable systems thinking skills while deepening their understanding of agriculture and the complex interconnections between food, energy, and water systems. Additionally, using the FEW-Nexus to motivate a complex socio-ecological systems approach to learning about agriculture helps center consideration of tradeoffs in FEW resource management decision-making.

FEW-Nexus-based education experience, expertise and interests

In my current project, I am collaborating with colleagues in the Virginia Tech Center for Rural Education on developing and testing FEW-Nexus-based curriculum for the Summer Enrichment Experience at VT (SEE VT). This one-week residential summer camp on Virginia Tech's campus serves middle school youth from rural communities. Through the STEM curriculum, we are using a place-based education framework to explore the FEW-Nexus and how systems thinking can help students generate solutions to challenges rural communities may experience in making these resources available to all community members. Through engagement with real-world case studies in their region, youth consider tradeoffs as they develop proposed solutions to local FEW-Nexus challenges. Building on our proof-of-concept pilot, we are revising and refining the curriculum for Summer 2023. We will use student artifacts, interviews, and instructor reflections to understand learning outcomes related to systems thinking, FEW-Nexus interconnections, and rural sense of place. I am looking for collaborators who are interested in adapting our approach for use in different instructional settings to build a deeper understanding of the affordances of using the FEW-Nexus in combination with place-based education.

Publications, presentations, and other references

  • Fortner, S., Scherer, H. H., & Murphy, M. (2016). Engaging undergraduates in soil sustainability decision-making through an InTeGrate module. Journal of Geoscience Education, 64(4), 259-269. https://doi.org/10.5408/15-106.1
  • Scherer, H. H., Holder, L., & Herbert, B. E. (2017). Student learning of complex Earth systems: Conceptual frameworks of Earth systems and instructional design. Journal of Geoscience Education, 65(4), 473-489. https://doi.org/10.5408/16-208.1
  • Scherer, H. H., Forbes, C. T., Sintov, N., & Wang, H.-H. (2020). The Food-Energy-Water-Nexus: A new way to help students think about resource management in AFNR education. The Agricultural Education Magazine, 92(5), 5-8.
  • Scherer, H. H. (2020). Leveraging InTeGrate community expertise, products, and processes within synergistic efforts toward advancing NC-FEW goals. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, 52(6). https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2020AM-354674