Gov. Terry Branstad earlier this month reappointed the Hygienic Laboratory’s Beth Hochstedler to the Iowa Governor’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Advisory Council. Hochstedler, director of the Office of Education, Training and Professional Development, was originally appointed in 2013.

Beth Hochstedler poses with Yoshisuke Kumano of Shizuoka University who is studying STEM programs in the U.S.

The STEM Advisory Council was created to encourage students from pre-kindergarten through high school to participate in STEM programs and, ultimately, choose careers in this field.

The council is comprised of 47 leaders in education, business, and state and local government. The members work to support STEM education and innovation throughout the state with programs, events and resources.

Hochstedler and the Hygienic Laboratory have been strong supporters of education for years. She helped coordinate Iowa’s first iExplore STEM festival in 2011, which was hosted at the State Hygienic Laboratory and drew more than 2,000 people.

Since 2011, the lab has hosted nine high school teachers as part of the Iowa STEM Teacher Externship Program. The six-week professional development opportunity for teachers helps bring laboratory science into the classroom.