Erin Marie Furtak

Erin Marie Furtak is a Professor of STEM Education at the University of Colorado Boulder, School of Education. She transitioned from high school teaching to academic research, focusing on formative assessment in science education and equitable classroom practices. Her work emphasizes how teachers design and use assessments to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.

Education:

• PhD in Curriculum and Teacher Education, Stanford University (2006)
• MA in Education, University of Denver (2001)
• BA in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado Boulder (1999)

Research Interests: Formative assessment design, equity in STEM education, teacher professional development, and learning progressions. She leads the Aspire Partnership (NSF-funded) and Elevate Project, studying teacher-student interactions and equitable assessment practices. Her work bridges educational theory with classroom application, particularly for emergent bilingual learners.

Selected Awards:

• 2011 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
• German Chancellor Fellowship (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, 2006)

Teaching & Service: Courses include EDUC 4060/5060: Classroom Interactions and EDUC/MCDB 4811/5811: Teaching & Learning Biology. She serves as Associate Dean of Faculty at the School of Education and advises national initiatives like the Sandra K. Abell Institute and National Academies' Updating America’s Lab Report.

Labs/Teams: Aspire Partnership, Elevate Project, and collaborations with school districts nationwide to integrate formative assessment into science curricula.