Meet Our Team

Meet Dr. Fox

Sierra STEM was launched in 2021 by Dr. Neal Fox (he/him), an interdisciplinary STEM educator, mentor, and researcher and an avid outdoorsman living in California’s Sierra Nevada east of Yosemite National Park.

Neal has spent more than 400 nights under the stars, including more than three months on the Appalachian Trail, over 1,000 miles of hiking west of America’s Continental Divide, and backpacking trips in over a dozen countries. He is passionate about introducing people of all ages to backpacking and outdoor adventures.

As a high school educator, “Dr. Fox” designed unique courses centered around inquiry-based, experiential learning including: Evolution, Genetics, & Ecology; Data Analytics; Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology; and Advanced Topics in Biology. In the classroom, Dr. Fox was known for designing immersive weeks-long labs and projects that engaged students in creative project-based learning experiences.

Before becoming a high school teacher, Dr. Fox spent a decade doing research and teaching in academia. His scientific research focused on models of spoken language in humans, including computational, neurobiological, and cognitive models of speech perception and production. He earned his B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia, his M.S. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Brown University, and was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. His research and training were funded by fellowships from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Brown Institute for Brain Science.

Meet Jackie

Jackie Florman (she/her) joined Sierra STEM as its Associate Program Director in 2023. She has spent much of her life exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains, where she was introduced to the region’s sweeping wilderness through hiking and snowboarding trips during her childhood. Thanks to the Sierra, she grew into a passionate backcountry snowboarder, backpacker, and lover of all things outside.

At Colby College and the University of Colorado, Jackie majored in Environmental Studies with a focus on Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She graduated summa cum laude from CU for her Honors thesis entitled Examining Co-Production of Knowledge Principles and Practices at the Arctic Rivers Summit in Anchorage, Alaska, in which Jackie analyzed collaborative knowledge generation practices between the Arctic Rivers Project and Indigenous communities in the Yukon River Basin. Jackie is passionate about elevating Indigenous voices and integrates an environmental justice focus in all of the outdoor and environmental education she facilitates.

Prior to joining Sierra STEM, Jackie worked as a backpacking guide in Yosemite National Park and Lassen National Park, gaining extensive experience facilitating youth and adult backcountry adventures. Jackie also holds certifications in snow science/avalanche education and yoga instruction.