One of Forbes’ ‘30 under 30,’ Dieuwertje Kast is educating next-gen STEM leaders.

Resplendent in a dress patterned with the periodic table of elements, there can be no doubt that Dieuwertje “DJ” Kast is passionate about her subject. Recently recognized as one of Forbes’ 2016 “30 under 30” in science, the USC Dornsife alumna is spearheading STEM education for underprivileged grade schoolers through USC’s Joint Educational Project (JEP).

Kast was recognized by Forbes for her work in STEM (short for science, technology, engineering and math) education after being nominated by peers and chosen by leaders in her field. She said she was deeply honored to be included in a class that features so many outstanding individuals representing the best in their fields.

“This honor strengthens my belief that helping to educate and train our next generation of young scientists is of utmost importance, and it further encourages me to move forward with this work,” she said.

The road to becoming a STEM educator

DJ Kast holding her Forbes “30 under 30” award. Photo courtesy of DJ Kast.

Kast graduated from USC Dornsife in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a master’s degree in marine environmental biology. She then earned a Master of Arts in Teaching with a single subject biology credential from USC Rossier School of Education in 2014.

As a freshman at USC Dornsife, Kast was first hired to teach marine biology with USC Sea Grant’s Parent Child Education Program (PCEP). “This was my first exposure to how socioeconomic status could impact your life,” she said. “Most of my students did not know how to swim, and half of them had never seen the ocean before.”

Kast worked with PCEP while an undergraduate. She also won a yearlong paid internship in ocean education at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., then worked in the USC QuikSCience program for three years, mentoring thousands of middle and high school students in their ocean education and research projects.

In 2013, she was hired as director of USC YSP through JEP and was promoted to STEM Programs Manager in 2014. She provides support and materials for her STEM educators in the Young Scientists Program (YSP) and in the program she created in 2010,  WonderKids. She is also the STEM coordinator for the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative.

Kast says she incorporates her love of the ocean into her programs. “I have taught fourth- and fifth-graders about underwater robots, and USC Wonderkids does something marine biology-related every semester,” she said.

DJ Kast’s collection of science-themed dresses enables her to match her wardrobe
to the subject she is teaching on any given day. Photos courtesy of DJ Kast.

Tammy Anderson, executive director of JEP, described Kast as one of the most dedicated young teachers she has met in many years. “DJ loves the sciences and lives to open up the wonders of science to children and connect it to their daily lives,” Anderson said. “We are fortunate to have her guiding our STEM programs.”

Dressed to impress — and inspire

Kast’s passion for STEM and her devotion to passing that enthusiasm on to her young students extends even to her creatively curated wardrobe of science dresses, each made with a different science-themed fabric. Kast says she has collected so many over the years that on any given day she is now able to match her dress to her STEM course material.

“I think I’m up to about 20 now,” she laughs. “As well as my periodic table dress, I have ones made of fabric patterned with clouds, the northern lights, Pacman, polar bears, skeletons, dinosaurs, volcanos, sea horses, heart anatomy, the solar system, and snowflakes.”

This summer, DJ Kast will travel to the North Pole to learn more about polar science. Photo by Roee Fung.

Kast says she wears the dresses with pride to show students her love of science in the hope that she will inspire them to share her passion.

“I want them to see how fun science can be,” she said. “Even if they don’t end up going into science as a career, I want them to at least appreciate what it can do.”

Bringing polar science back to Los Angeles

This summer, Kast’s love of science is taking her to the North Pole to participate in PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating), a program that sends teachers to work with scientists in the Arctic and Antarctica to increase the educator’s understanding of polar science.

Kast will spend four weeks at Toolik Research Station, located north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, where she will research microbial ecology of the Arctic tundra with a team of scientists and participate in hands-on field research experiences.

“We’ll be looking at the relevance of climate change and warming and its impact on the ecology of the Arctic tundra, specifically permafrost,” she said.

As a PolarTREC teacher, Kast will create polar science lessons for 1,500 low-income and underrepresented students in fourth- and fifth-grade science through USC’s YSP and Wonderkids programs.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity because it’s important for my students,” she said. “Not only do they need to know about cutting-edge science but also about major issues like climate change and how changes in polar regions impact them now and in the future.”

A marine biologist, DJ Kast graduated USC Dornsife in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a master’s degree in marine environmental biology. Here she is pictured with a California grunion. Photo courtesy of DJ Kast.

Kast also plans to write a polar curriculum to share with other teachers, including USC Rossier STEM teachers.

A natural fit

Kast said her experiences at USC played an integral role in shaping her current career path in STEM education.

“Be it from the number of science education programs within USC that I am, or have been, associated with … or the stellar faculty who have always supported and guided me and the immense resources that the extensive Trojan Family offers — all of this has allowed me to become the STEM educator I am today and has provided me with the opportunities to succeed in this field and be recognized by my peers in STEM.”

Kast is a firm believer in the benefit of JEP’s STEM outreach. She hopes to use her recent accolades to expand JEP’s STEM programs to more schools, thereby increasing their impact. 

“These programs level the playing field for low-income and underrepresented students, and it’s truly rewarding to see my students succeed because of the impact the programs made in their lives,” she said. “Many students have gone on to enroll in STEM majors in universities, and it fills me with much joy and pride when I hear their success stories.”