Dr. Jennifer Miller-Ray is a cognitive scientist specializing in STEM literacy and serves as an associate professor in the Education department at Sul Ross State University. She has designed literacy and makerspace events for multiple museums to include the Perot Museum, the Kennedy Space Center, NASA STEM camps, the Indigenous Education Institute, public libraries, and implemented makerspace STEM initiatives in over 30 public schools. Dr. Miller-Ray has developed Massive Open Online Courses through Canvas's Open Network highlighting NASA MMS Education Outreach programs through mobile makerspace initiatives. Dr. Miller-Ray's  research centers around a makerspace project-based learning literacy process in which elementary and middle school students connect curriculum content to informal makerspace activities to make an artifact serving the career role of a journalist, scientist, engineer, or journalist. ​Dr. Miller Ray's initiatives, funded through a NASA grant and local library public school program, were highlighted as the innovative research project in the University of North Texas's January 2017 RESEARCH magazine. Recently, Dr. Miller-Ray was awarded Noyce Scholars en la Frontera NSF grant, where she serves as the primary research investigator. Dr. Miller-Ray also oversees the mobile La Frontera STEM lab, a mobile makerspace initiative with the Science Mill Museum located in Johnson City, Texas. 

Dr. Miller-Ray is also currently serving as a Co-PI with UTSA's National Science Foundation's Total Eclipses in the Heart of Texas, where she will connect the Noyce program and surrounding schools to education outreach opportunities for the 2023-2024 solar eclipse events. Dr. Miller-Ray was also chosen as the Citizen CATE southwest Texas eclipse coordinator and recieved a $10,000 American Astronomical Society mini-grant to fund outreach and education research for the 2024 total eclipse. 

Finally, Dr. Miller-Ray was also recently awarded the National Science Foundation's Creating and Sustaining Noyce Mentors en la Frontera capacity grant program, where she will work with a team to submit a Track 3 graduate Noyce program and implement 3 STEM camps in the Midland, Big Bend, and Middle Rio Grande areas. 

Dr. Miller-Ray was nominated by her colleagues and received the 2023 Outstanding Teacher Award at Sul Ross State University, was nominated for the prestigioius Piper professor in 2024, and nominated to the Texas State System's outstanding professor award. Dr. Miller-Ray also sponsors the Texas State Teachers' Aspiring Educators student club, serves as a BSM club advisor, and serves as secretary for faculty assembly.

Learn more at drmillerray.com! 

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