Susan Ipri Brown is extremely passionate about sharing the excitement of science, engineering and math with younger students. She’s very eager to be able to share this excitement as Director of the Center for Exploratory Learning, known as ExploreHope. Through ExploreHope, she works with Hope students as they gain pre-professional experience working with younger K–12 students. Being in the classroom, Susan enjoys her interactions with engineering students, guiding them through the many skills and applications of engineering.

Prior to coming to Hope, Susan held a similar role at Northwestern University as well as engineering positions at Delphi Automotive and the Michigan Legislative Service Bureau.

AREAS OF Expertise

Susan’s areas of expertise include:

• K-12 STEM Education
• Director, Hope College Summer Science Camps
• Organizer, ExploreHope Saturday outreach programs
• ASME Public Affairs and Outreach
• FIRST Robotics coach and judge
• The Little Stuff Fund founder

EDUCATION

• M.S., mechanical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995
• BSE, mechanical and aerospace engineering, Princeton University, 1993
• Secondary teaching certificate, mathematics, Appalachian State University

HONORS & AWARDS

• ASME Distinguished Service Award

Grants, Fellowships &Sponsored Research

• "Leadership Development of Undergraduate Women through Middle School Outreach," principal, sponsored by Engineering Information Foundation, August 1, 2018–July 31, 2019 – $12,000
  
• "Ecology Camps," principal, sponsored by American Society of Mechanical Engineers, June 1, 2018–May 31, 2019 – $5,000
  
• "Air Quality Monitoring in the Middle and High Shool Grades," principal, sponsored by Michigan Space Grant Consortium, May 1, 2018–April 30, 2019 – $15,000
  
• "Engineering the Future Academies," co-principal, E.L. Mann principal, sponsored by Michigan Space Grant Consortium, May 1, 2018–April 30, 2019 – $15,000
  
• "Step Up Program at Hope College," principal, sponsored by Holland Junior Welfare League, May 19–July 31, 2018 – $2,861

Presentations

• "Air Quality Monitoring in the Classroom," Fall Science Update, Workshop, Grand Valley State University Regional Math and Science Center, Grand Valley State University, Allendate, Michigan, November 14, 2018
• "Air Quality Monitoring in the Middle and High School Grades," Michigan Space Grant Consortium Annual Conference, Lecture, Michigan Space Grant Consortium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 10, 2018
• "Engineering the Future Academies," non-presenting contributor, with E. Slenk, (presenter), J. Hardy, (presenter) and E.L. Mann (non-presenting contributor), Michigan Space Grant Consortium Annual Conference, Lecture, Michigan Space Grant Consortium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 10, 2018
• "ExploreHope Environmental Education Programs," with S.M. McCrumb, ASME Engineering Education Committee, Lecture, ASME International, Houston, TX. (September 15, 2018).

Publications

• "Summer Is Time to Spur Kid's Natural Curiosity," Living Sustainably (blog), 2018

Professional Service

• Conference organizer, ExploreHope, Holland, Michigan (February–March 2018).
• Brain Awareness Week, speaker and outreach sessions held in conjunction with Natural and Applied Sciences departments

View Susan Ipri Brown’s published work inDigital Commons

Outside the College

Outside of work Susan can usually be found driving her active son and daughter around town and volunteering with their activities.