Kathryn L. Atkins
As the Director at the Wade Institute for Science Education at Manomet Conservation Sciences, Kathryn brings over 20 years of experience in conservation and science education—both in the classroom and in informal settings—into everything she does. Her passion shows through in the way she designs and delivers science programs that support teachers, schools, and entire districts.
Kathryn holds a MSEd in Secondary Science from Lehman College, as well as a M.S. in Conservation Biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Kathryn began her career in science through informal education and the zoo community. She then moved into the classroom, teaching middle school science in New York City public schools. There, she focused on problem-based learning to spark curiosity and foster engagement in her students.
Her background also includes field research in Costa Rica and Uganda, where she studied primates as part of her graduate work. Before joining the Wade Institute, Kathryn spent several years working in the zoo community, most recently at the Bronx Zoo with the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Now at Manomet, she’s excited to return to her conservation roots and help grow the organization’s education work—especially by expanding its focus to include not just students, but teachers and adult learners, too. Outside of work, Kathryn loves exploring the outdoors and diving into creative projects. For her, science is as much about creativity as it is about discovery.