Taunya Nesin is the Director of STEM Networking and Partnerships at WestEd. She is the content lead for the revision of the NAEP Science Assessment Framework and supports other projects related to science and engineering, math, charter schools, and business development.
Nesin joined WestEd after serving as a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she focused on grants related to the availability, smarter demand, and implementation of high-quality K–12 instructional materials. Her prior experience includes work at the DC Public Charter School Board and policy research at The George Washington University. She also previously served on the advisory boards for the DC STEM Network and OpenSciEd.
Nesin was an editor at National Science Teachers Association, National Geographic School Publishing, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where she developed curricula for science and English and language arts. She began her career as a public school teacher in Hoboken, Atlanta, and Boston.
Nesin holds a BA in English and American language and literature from Harvard University, an MA in curriculum and instruction from Columbia University Teachers College, and an EdD in educational administration and policy studies from The George Washington University. She currently serves on the boards of CenterPoint Education Solutions and Techbridge Girls.