Mandy Nix (she/her) is a Gund Graduate Fellow, Natural Resources Ph.D. student, and non-formal environmental educator with social-ecological research interests at the nexus of environmental education, literacy, and justice. In collaboration with advisors from both the Rubenstein School and the College of Education & Social Services, she channels eight years’ teaching experience in environmental science, technology, engineering, and math (E-STEM) into action-driven scholarship. She researches and reimagines intersectional pedagogies that advance equitable access not only to high-quality experiences in nature, but also to high-quality experiences in education – sparking lasting literacy, stewardship, and joy for all.
Nix has engaged "PreK – gray" audiences of all ages in outdoor and online classrooms across North Carolina, Alaska, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and now Vermont. Most recently as the Watershed Education Specialist at the freshwater nonprofit Stroud™ Water Research Center, she designed and delivered inquiry-driven, place-based programming on watershed health, including learner-centered experiences in stream ecology, aquatic macroinvertebrates, freshwater fisheries, water-quality monitoring, riparian restoration, sustainable land use, digital learning tools, community stewardship action, and outdoor aquatic recreation (e.g., boating and fishing).
When she is not teaching or researching, Nix can be found frolicking with her leash-trained rescue kitty Magpie, dusting her novelty teapots, attempting to bake, and collecting secondhand treasures like a five-foot caddisfly larva.
