Kathleen M. Vandiver

Dr. Kathleen M. Vandiver earned her Ph.D. in 1982 from the Tufts University School of Medicine from the Anatomy & Cellular Biology Department and joined the research team at OPTRA, Inc. an optics instrumentation startup. Later in a career shift, she obtained a M.Ed. from Harvard University and taught science in the Lexington Public Schools (Lexington, MA) for 16 years. Vandiver received the ‘Educator of the Year Award’ in 2009 and was inducted into the Massachusetts Science Educators Hall of Fame in 2011 by the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST).

In 2006 Vandiver joined the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences. As the Director of Community Outreach Education & Engagement Core for the MIT center, she partners with communities to improve environmental public health through science education and community engagement. For environmental justice in Malden for example, Vandiver is an active member of Friends of the Malden River and the Mystic River Watershed Association. Her MIT role also includes working with the MIT Superfund Research Program (SRP) with tribal communities in Maine. Vandiver is the recipient of the Office of the Vice President of Research 2019 MIT Infinite Mile Award.