About Dr. Raven

As a kid I had a million questions about the world, and science seemed like the most fun way to get answers. I made it my career.

These days I create science content full time as Dr. Raven the Science Maven.

Raven as a sixth grader in a Space Camp flight suit, holding a space shuttle model
U.S. Space Camp, 2004

Born a nerd, been a nerd

In sixth grade I won a scholarship to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. My hometown paper, the News & Record, covered it.

My mom told the reporter I said, “If they offer me a chance to go to space, I’m gone.”

Raven as a kid, walking with other campers at Space CampRaven as a kid in a white spacesuit in front of a space shuttle modelRaven as a kid in a spacesuit at the Space Camp rocket park
“If I had a class full of students like Raven, I’d be in heaven.”
Dorene Sacmary, my sixth-grade math and science teacher

Scientist and teacher

I worked in drug discovery, finding potential treatments for diseases like dementia and cancer. Then I watched the country falling out with science, and I wanted to do something about it. I chose education.

  1. 2016Took science to socials
  2. 2019Taught Regents Chemistry at Health Sciences Charter School in Buffalo
  3. 2022Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning, University at Buffalo

Teachers’ conferences and national programs

  1. 2026Science Teachers Association of New York StateConference keynote, Syracuse, November
  2. 2025California Association of Science EducatorsOpening keynote, California Science Education Conference
  3. 2022National Science Teaching AssociationClosing keynote, national conference, Houston
  4. 2021Climate GenerationOpening keynote, Summer Institute for Climate Change Education
  1. 2026Aspen InstituteJudge, Ideas to Impact national student video contest
  2. 2025Aspen InstituteKeynote, Our Future Is Science kickoff
  3. 2024New York Hall of ScienceSTEM Night panel
  4. 2023White House National Space CouncilSpace STEM Forum
  5. 2022Regeneron DNA Learning CenterTaught a hands-on bacterial transformation lab
  6. 2022ISS National LaboratorySTEM education panel
  7. 2021NASA TechRise Student ChallengeSpecial guest
  8. 2021Intrepid MuseumKeynote, Girls in Science and Engineering Day
  9. 2020National GEAR UP WeekKeynote and student panel
The Science of Immunity course page

Science of Immunity

I developed the curriculum and lesson content for this free vaccine education resource for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA, aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.

  • 5modules
  • 16lessons
  • 30+videos

Nerdy Jobs

Nerdy Jobs is my original series. I do STEM professionals’ jobs for a day, right alongside them.

From teachers

Bring Dr. Raven to your schoolSee the lessons
Sources
  1. Dr. Raven Baxter’s biography, thesciencemaven.com
  2. Dr. Raven Baxter’s speaking history, thesciencemaven.com
  3. Raven Baxter, “Culturally Responsive Science Communication,” doctoral dissertation, University at Buffalo, 2022
  4. Science of Immunity curriculum, scienceofimmunity.org
  5. Teacher comments, from comments on Dr. Raven’s Instagram posts