Suzanne E. Hiller Blue Swallow Farm Foundation
Suzanne E. Hiller, PhD, has worked in the field of education as a practitioner, professor,
researcher, and evaluator for over three decades. Notably, she was the Teacher Naturalist with
the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. She has served as an assistant
professor teaching educational psychology, program evaluation, research, and preservice
teacher courses in curriculum and assessment. While affiliated with Wingate University, she was
the Director of the Graduate Education Program and the Director of Multidisciplinary Studies
in Education with Hood College.
Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Blue Swallow Farm Foundation, an organization
dedicated to promoting inclusive, authentic experiences in outdoor education through
research and training while motivating students in STEM careers. In light of this mission,
Suzanne E. Hiller has been working with educators, administrators, researchers, and scientists
on a variety of projects related to professional development, curriculum development, and
research, with a particular emphasis on outdoor classrooms and citizen science. Most recently,
she has conducted a series of research studies on the impact of water quality programs on student
STEM achievement, career motivation, environmental attitudes, and social-emotional
well-being. Through this type of research, professional development on designing and utilizing
About the Authors xxxi
outdoor classrooms, curriculum resources for educators, and mentorship and support for doctoral
students, she continues to encourage growing interest in providing students with exposure
in STEM activities within natural settings.
In support of educational research at large, Suzanne E. Hiller has served on the editorial
board for the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology and the
Journal of Experimental Education. She has also been a reviewer for a variety of journals, such as
Learning and Individual Differences; Learning, Culture, and Social Interaction; and Heliyon. She
has written one book on using metacognitive and self-regulatory strategies to promote student
science achievement and coedited one book on fostering STEM career motivation through citizen
science.
Her background in motivation and self-regulation was particularly relevant as a co-principal
investigator on a grant from the Maryland Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund to provide assistance
for teachers during the recent health crisis. Using an online format, the program serviced
teachers across the state of Maryland with presentations, mentorship, and projects related to
social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, mind-brain education, and self-regulation,
all topics that were critical for student success during the pandemic. The experience of
working on this grant serves as a model for several upcoming programs to train educators and
administrators in outdoor instruction through the Blue Swallow Farm Foundation as well as to
develop curricular materials for outdoor learning, Grades K–12.