Meet 2026 Iowa STEM Teacher Award recipient Pamela Joslyn

From physics and engineering to medical research and agriculture, there is a vast array of STEM topics taught today in Iowa schools. At the helm, representing outstanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers across the state, is the 2026 cohort of Iowa STEM Teacher Award recipients. These six dedicated teachers are making a difference in the lives of students across the state by providing excellent curriculum, encouraging lifelong learning and inspiring a passion for STEM beyond the classroom and into the future.

The Iowa STEM Teacher Award, sponsored by Google and distributed by the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education, is presented annually to one full-time, licensed PK-12 classroom teacher in each of the six STEM regions in Iowa.

This year’s six regional Iowa STEM Teacher Award recipients were honored in a ceremony during STEM Day at the Capitol on Feb. 18. We checked in with each awardee and asked them to share what the honor means to them, their inspirations and what excites them about the future.

Today, we are highlighting Pamela Joslyn, a STEM educator at Muscatine Middle School in the Southeast Iowa STEM region. Joslyn is in her 33rd year of teaching.

What went through your mind when you learned you were being named an Iowa STEM Teacher Award recipient and what does the honor say about the impact you have achieved? 
I’m sincerely honored. I felt validated to know that the work I do with students making real community impact is being recognized. By receiving this award, I am excited to expand my network across Iowa and bring back even more resources and innovative practices to benefit students in Muscatine and throughout the state.

The Iowa STEM Teacher Award award amplifies the message that STEM education matters, problem-based learning works, and when we invest in students solving relevant authentic problems, students rise to meet those challenges. This award celebrates the process of learning and driving change in solving tomorrow’s problems.

What first drew you to STEM and was there a person, experience or challenge that influenced your path to becoming a STEM teacher?
Growing up on a small farm with over 20 acres of creek and woods sparked endless curiosity: why does water roll down the hill when it hasn't rained, how do oxbows form, what is this tree that looks like apple blossoms, why do beavers dam our creek instead of the river? 

My agriculture teacher, Dave Fowler, encouraged me to pursue a genetics degree at Iowa State University. I loved science in every form, taking as many classes as possible in high school and continuing that love of learning by earning certifications in multiple subject areas. After spending a year as an Albert Einstein Fellow with the Office of Naval Research, I saw a critical need to teach computer science in a way that empowers students to be technology creators, not just consumers, which is a driving force of my work.

Can you share a moment, project or interaction that captures why your work as a STEM teacher is impactful?
When my students present their Reinvent Muscatine solutions, their faces light up when the Mayor walks in. When city council members lean forward to hear their data on water conservation, air quality, solar energy or when subject matter experts treat them as colleagues rather than kids. In those moments, students transform into confident problem solvers who realize their voices actually matter in shaping our community. Adults take their ideas seriously because they have collected and analyzed data and created legitimate solutions. The students experience what it means to be technology creators who can drive real change.

How have STEM Council programs impacted your teaching or your student’s STEM learning?
As part of the Iowa STEM Scale-Up Program, I was able to integrate Turing Tumble and Spintronics into my curriculum, giving students hands-on, mechanical models to understand computational logic and electrical circuits. As an Iowa STEM Teacher Extern, I have worked with HNI manufacturing observing laser welding and material handling processes and partnered with Muscatine County Conservation to develop authentic field experiences, including taking biology students to identify mussels and understand river ecosystem health or exploring Big Sand Mound Nature Preserve. These STEM Council programs fundamentally transformed my teaching from theoretical to place-based, community-connected learning.

If you had to sum it up in a sentence or two, what keeps you coming back to this work?
After traveling the nation as an Albert Einstein Fellow and seeing STEM's transformative impact across the country, I come back to the classroom every day because I know these students can change Muscatine. I can help students see that their world matters, connect them to the bigger picture and provide them with tools to make a real impact right here in their own community.

After 33 years in education, I remain convinced that powerful learning happens when students recognize themselves as problem solvers whose work can impact their community. Students belong in STEM, Muscatine needs their ideas, and that technology creation is right here, right now.

The Iowa Department of Education congratulates Pamela Joslyn on her award and dedication to STEM education.