Nakita VanBiene

Nakita VanBiene (they/them/theirs) is a Program Officer for Science & Community at MƒA. In this role, they concentrate on fellowship engagement and develop science-focused PLTs and community-oriented professional programming for MƒA teachers.

Before joining MƒA, Nakita taught earth science for five years at Hudson High School of Learning Technologies in Manhattan, as well as Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women in Brooklyn. They were a MƒA Early Career Teacher from 2018-2022, prioritizing earth science and equity development in their professional growth opportunities and co-facilitating the LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group. They are also a Specialist in Teacher Education at the American Museum of Natural History, supporting early career and pre-service earth science teachers in developing their teacher identity in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Nakita earned a B.A. in Geosciences from Williams College and a M.A.T in Earth Science from Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History. They live in Brooklyn with their spouse and two rescue animals, a Pitbull named Molasses and a cat named Bean. They love kayaking, video games, and queer community building.