Iris Stiers

Background

About Iris Stiers

I am affiliated to both MILO (Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education / Science Didactics) and the Biology Department at VUB. I obtained an Msc in Biology, option Environment in 2005, an academic teacher trainer diploma in science in 2006 and a PhD in aquatic ecology in 2014. Since 2019 I am professor. I am the coordinator of the Educational Master Science & Technology and local coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems (Tropimundo) both at VUB. I teach 5 courses as titular (19 ECTS) and 1 course as co-titular (6 ECTS) both in the Teacher Education Department (Science didactics Biology and Chemistry) and Biology Department (Biological Invasions and Freshwater Ecology). My research addresses game didactics for science,(blended) STEM, environmental education, wetland resilience and biological invasions. Currently, I am the research leader of 2 projects related to ‘STEM didactics’ with a focus on teacher education, a citizen science project on environmental education in a classroom setting and an environmental policy project related to freshwater biomonitoring. I was the (co-)supervisor of 3 completed PhD’s and currently supervise 4 PhD students (on aquatic invasions, limnology, STEM and sustainability education). I am member of an international research consortium on 'biological control of weeds' and 'macrophyte madness' with a number of world authorities. I am also associate editor of the peer-reviewed journals ‘Aquatic Invasions’ and ‘Brussels Studies’. I have long-term experience and educational cooperation with Vietnam, Ethiopia, South Africa, Argentina and Europe. I supervised many national and international MSc students on aquatic ecology and science education topics.