Institute for Research Experiences & Education Welcomes Sally Creel as Senior Fellow

The Institute for Research Experiences & Education welcomed Sally Creel, Ed.D., as a senior fellow. In this role, Creel will focus on advancing and strengthening our education institute’s partnership strategy — working across the organization and with external collaborators to build meaningful partnerships and connections and serving as senior advisor with our education programs.  

Creel brings an extensive background in K-12 education and STEM to her new role, recently retiring after a 30-year career in public education. She recently served as STEM and innovation supervisor for Cobb County School District in metro Atlanta, where she led initiatives that spanned science, professional learning, and STEM programming over the past 20 years.  

With years of experience supporting educators and building strong partnerships between schools and community organizations, Creel played a foundational role in early collaborations with Xplorlabs, ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute and Cobb County Schools, helping shape what is now the Xplorlabs Community Partnership model. Additionally, she consults for state and national professional organizations and companies that provide educational curriculum resources and serves on the advisory boards for the Georgia Aquarium and the Interactive Research Methods Lab at Kennesaw State University. 

Through her new role, Creel is eager to help expand the Institute for Research Experiences & Education’s reach and impact while helping build the future of safety science. She’s passionate about connecting with communities, educators, and organizations, and bringing our institute’s educational research, platforms, and resources to learners and educators nationwide. 

“We have so many opportunities to reconnect with individuals and partners we’ve already engaged with, and this role is about turning those sparks of connection into strong, sustainable, engaged partnerships,” Creel said. “I’m looking forward to being part of the team in this capacity — having conversations, developing new ideas, and working together to move the needle in new and meaningful ways.” 

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