Jeff Spencer is a science instructional coach with the Illinois Regional Office of Education #17 and a researcher at the University of Michigan studying the design, implementation, and adaptation of culturally relevant teaching materials in the classroom. His work focuses on building professional learning structures that support the implementation of practices-based science education in classrooms throughout Illinois. His research focuses on creating partnerships amongst Indigenous community members, research scientists, and faculty in northern Alaska to inform the development of culturally relevant and place-based science curricular materials. Prior to this, Jeff was a high school science teacher for six years at a large, diverse high school in Aurora, CO. At this position, he led teacher professional development around cultural relevance and mentored young teachers as they engaged with the culture of their community. He is also a senior fellow with the Knowles Teacher Initiative, an organization geared towards supporting secondary teacher development and building leadership capacity and is involved in design and facilitation with Open Sci Ed, Modeling Instruction, and the POGIL project. When not teaching and doing research, Jeff spends time with his family, enjoys cooking and eating all types of food, and is an avid cyclist.