Bio

Dr. Corey Welch is Director/Founder of the STEM Scholars Program at Iowa State University. I arrived in Ames in January 2015 to establish a new Science training program serving undergraduate students with a dream for careers in science, health, and related fields. My career goal is to train science leaders whose success will benefit both STEM disciplines and our larger society.

I grew up in a trailer park in Billings, Montana, am a proud member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, and a first generation college graduate whom was inspired to pursue a career in biology after spending a significant part of my childhood bouncing around in my grandfather’s pickup truck on the red-dirt roads of the Northern Cheyenne reservation. Paying attention to nature, hunting and fishing were common activities, but I never knew there were professional pathways to a career in science. I remained a  naïve, shy college sophomore with no idea what graduate school was or how to get into science. Thankfully, through mentors and National Science Foundation summer research training opportunities and the support of my family, I learned about the pathways to a Biology PhD, including that you got paid!

My academic path through undergraduate and graduate degrees had many bumps along the road, mistakes, luck, hard work, and a lot of fun. My formal biology training is in ecology and evolution with an emphasis on population ecology and genetics of birds and mammals. Previously, I taught biology courses for several years at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS.  Prior to coming to Iowa State, I was the Research Program Coordinator for a large (~400-500 students, 3700+ alumni) biological sciences program: the Biology Scholars Program at UC Berkeley 2011-2014 where I coordinated a variety of different research training programs. The STEM Scholars is modeled after this outstanding program and aims to have a similar impact on its members, their families, and our society.

Lastly, I frequently give public talks, departmental seminars, or presentations at National Conferences on ways to strengthen STEM fields and leadership training from the undergraduate to the professoriate. Our society and global problems need an informed, highly trained science workforce to work on these challenges and STEM Scholar alumni will continue to be at the table helping provide those solutions.

Lewis & Clark College, BS Biology
University of Kansas, MA Systematics & Ecology
University of Washington, PhD Zoology

As of 2015, I provide an annual Northern Cheyenne Tribal Scholarship to honor my late mother and give back to the community. Go to Sharon Farr Welch Northern Cheyenne Tribal Scholarship. Must be an enrolled college student and enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.