2 0 1 8 , ▁and ▁part - time ▁through ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁to ▁consult ▁on ▁Federal ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁Plan . ▁He ▁is ▁on ▁extended ▁leave ▁from ▁a ▁fac ulty ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Bi ology ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Northern ▁Iowa ▁( UN I ) ▁in ▁C ed ar ▁F alls , ▁Iowa . ▁ ▁W eld ▁is ▁a ▁pro l ific ▁author , ▁focused ▁on ▁sur mount ing ▁imped iments ▁to ▁high ▁quality ▁science ▁teaching . ▁His ▁latest ▁publication , ▁the ▁book ▁Creating ▁a ▁S TE M ▁Culture ▁for ▁Te aching ▁and ▁Learning ▁( N ST A ▁Press ), ▁exam ines ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁S TE M ▁( s cience - techn ology - engine ering - math emat ics ) ▁movement . ▁A ▁decor ated ▁former ▁educ ator , ▁W eld ▁was ▁named ▁C iba - Ge ig y ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁Life ▁Science ▁Te acher ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁in ▁Iowa , ▁P ella ▁Corporation ' s ▁F ocus ▁on ▁Te aching ▁Ex cell ence ▁award ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁a ▁National ▁Access ▁Ex cell ence ▁Fellow ship ▁by ▁the ▁Gen ente ch ▁corpor ation . ▁The ▁National ▁Association ▁of ▁Bi ology ▁Te ach ers ▁named ▁W eld ▁the ▁National ▁Colleg iate ▁Bi ology ▁Te acher ▁of ▁The ▁Year ▁for ▁four - year ▁institutions ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁Iowa