Sahar Alameh, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Sahar Alameh is an Associate Professor of STEM Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Kentucky. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum Design and Instruction from the Mathematics, Science, and Technology (MST) Division at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Prior to completing her PhD, she taught high school physics and chemistry for seven years, experiences that continue to shape her commitment to developing authentic STEM learning experiences that connect classroom instruction with real-world scientific challenges.
Dr. Alameh’s research focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating community-engaged STEM education that prepares learners to address complex societal challenges through science. Her work brings together K–12 schools, higher education, public agencies, industry, and community organizations to create authentic learning experiences centered on One Health, environmental sustainability, public health, and data-informed decision making. She is particularly interested in translating cutting-edge scientific research into accessible educational experiences that strengthen scientific literacy, workforce development, and community resilience.
A central component of her scholarship involves developing innovative STEM learning environments through simulations, community-engaged projects, citizen science initiatives, field experiences, and data-driven instructional resources. As Co-Principal Investigator and Head of Broader Impacts, Education, Training, and Outreach for the National Science Foundation-funded Environmental Surveillance Center for Assessing Pathogen Emergence (ESCAPE Center), she leads interdisciplinary efforts to translate environmental and public health research—including water quality, One Health, and emerging infectious diseases—into meaningful educational experiences. Through research-practice partnerships, she collaborates with scientists, engineers, educators, government agencies, and community stakeholders to develop educational innovations that are scientifically rigorous, locally relevant, and responsive to community needs.
Her scholarship also continues to advance the teaching and learning of scientific explanation and the Nature of Science (NOS). She investigates how students and teachers develop sophisticated understandings of scientific knowledge, evidence, and explanation, particularly within the context of socio-scientific issues. Her work has contributed philosophically grounded frameworks and instructional approaches that help learners construct meaningful scientific explanations while fostering informed views of science and scientific inquiry.
Dr. Alameh's research has been supported through federal, state, and foundation funding and has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications, curriculum resources, and presentations at state, national, and international conferences. Her work has been recognized with several honors, including the University of Kentucky Great Teacher Award, the School Science and Mathematics Association Outstanding Early Career Scholar Award, and appointment as a UK CARES Faculty Fellow in Science Communication. Through all aspects of her scholarship, she seeks to bridge research, education, and community engagement to prepare learners, educators, and communities to address emerging scientific and societal challenges.