Matthew Stanley, a former combat medic in the U.S. Army who studied agriculture and horticulture, has been named the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute Scientist in Every Florida School (SEFS) K-12 education and outreach specialist for Marion County. In his role, funded by the Smallwood and Felburn foundations, Stanley will serve as the county’s “scientist-in-residence,” where he will teach the area’s schoolchildren about environmental issues ranging from water quality to sustainable agriculture.

Since the scientist-in-residence program launched in 2020, 1,680 visits have been coordinated to 100% of schools in Marion County, 93% of which receive Title I funds that help provide additional resources to low-income students. The area is largely rural, and many students belong to families of migrant farmworkers and speak English as a second language.

For part of his time, Stanley will be based out of a revitalized environmental science lab in the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center in Ocala. Each year, every fourth- and fifth-grade public school student in Marion County visits the museum for a one-day class trip. During these field trips, Stanley will be leading students in a variety of exciting hands-on learning activities, such as collecting data on manatee sightings.

Scott Mitchell, director of the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center, said Stanley’s background in a variety of scientific fields made him a perfect fit for the role.

“Having Matthew on staff is an asset to both the Silver River Museum and Marion County Public Schools. The museum benefits from having an additional educator on-site, which helps the program to reach more students,” Mitchell said. “Ultimately, this partnership helps Marion County Public Schools fulfil their mission of providing quality education with a strong focus on STEM-related topics.”

When not coordinating student groups, Stanley will also make in-person and virtual visits to the county’s public schools. If a local teacher requests a topic that is outside Stanley’s expertise, he will tap into the SEFS database to find a scientist who can help.

“The SEFS team is excited to welcome Matthew to the team,” said Brian Abramowitz, K-12 education and outreach coordinator with SEFS. “With his help, we will be able to increase the number of students and teachers engaged in SEFS by the thousands.”

Stanley completed his bachelor’s degree in agriculture with a concentration in horticulture from Tarleton State University. While there, he completed an internship working on research projects and teaching field courses at the Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Stanley also worked on genetic restoration projects for the golden paintbrush, a plant native to Washington that is currently listed on the Endangered Species List as threatened.

Before joining SEFS, Stanley worked as an educator with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Alachua County.

“Following this experience, I was eager to pursue a path that allows me to cultivate my love for the natural world and share that passion with others,” Stanley said.

As a parent of a 9-year-old daughter who will be attending some of the field trips he will be coordinating, Stanley hopes to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

“As someone with a similar background to many of the students here in Marion County, it was often difficult for me to shake the misconception that science was only read in a book or by watching a program on television,” Stanley said.

“That is what gets me most excited about this new role. I get the opportunity to create experiences that connect our children to the natural world. Hopefully, I can make an impact in their lives like similar experiences did in mine.”


Sources: Matthew Stanley, matthew.stanley@ufl.edu, 352-769-0041
Brian Abramowitz, babramowitz@floridamuseum.ufl.edu, 516-225-9390
Scott Mitchell, Scott.Mitchell@marion.k12.fl.us, (352) 236-5401 

Media contact: Rebecca Burton, rlburton@floridamuseum.ufl.edu, 850-316-1555