UH’s Heather Domjan Is on a Mission To Ignite Passions for STEM
The UH STEM Center executive director inspires students from all walks of life to find their place in science.
Story by Heather Domjan (’94, M.Ed. ’96, Ed.D. ’03), as told to DeAnna Janes
Illustration by Glin Dibley
UH’s Heather Domjan Is on a Mission To Ignite Passions for STEM
The UH STEM Center executive director inspires students from all walks of life to find their place in science.
By Heather Domjan (’94, M.Ed. ’96, Ed.D. ’03)
As told to DeAnna Janes
If I can change one student’s perception, then it’s all worth it. That’s what I tell myself. And I know it’s possible, because I am living proof that one simple idea can spark another and alter the trajectory of someone’s journey.
As a University of Houston Energy Fellow, I’m on a mission to ignite curiosity and passion for science, technology, engineering and math in young people through inventive, hands-on programs, such as STEM Zone Saturdays and the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston.
I should first note that I wasn’t always interested in science. In fact, I used to think, “I don’t belong here.”
A Houston native, I grew up in an era when science wasn’t really “for girls.” So, I played sports instead: track, basketball, golf. After graduating with a degree in kinesiology and sports marketing, though, I hit another glass ceiling, as they say, and needed to reevaluate next steps.
Finding My Space in Science
Everything changed while I was pursuing my master’s at UH (where I also earned my B.S. and Ed.D.). One of my professors in methodology handed me a battery, a wire and a bulb, and said, “Light it.” I remember thinking, “Really? This is science? I used to do this as a kid to test old batteries.” But when that bulb lit up in front of my professor, something lit up in me, too.
If this was science — curiosity, tinkering, connection — then count me in. I do belong here. I got my degree in curriculum instruction with a focus on science and smashed every ceiling that dared get in my way. I credit my UH professors, notably Dr. John Ramsey and Dr. Eugene Chiappetta, who has since passed, for showing me what science education should look like — science as inquiry, not worksheets. I also credit my mother. She saw the educator in me.
I share this light bulb-moment story with my students because it’s important they, too, make a personal connection to why they’re pursuing STEM. Science can be scary, and if you don’t have that why answered, the journey can be rocky.
If I can change one student’s perception, then it’s all worth it. That’s what I tell myself. And I know it’s possible, because I am living proof that one simple idea can spark another and alter the trajectory of someone’s journey.
As a University of Houston Energy Fellow, I’m on a mission to ignite curiosity and passion for science, technology, engineering and math in young people through inventive, hands-on programs, such as STEM Zone Saturdays and the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston.
I should first note that I wasn’t always interested in science. In fact, I used to think, “I don’t belong here.”
A Houston native, I grew up in an era when science wasn’t really “for girls.” So, I played sports instead: track, basketball, golf. After graduating with a degree in kinesiology and sports marketing, though, I hit another glass ceiling, as they say, and needed to reevaluate next steps.
Finding My Space in Science
Everything changed while I was pursuing my master’s at UH (where I also earned my B.S. and Ed.D.). One of my professors in methodology handed me a battery, a wire and a bulb, and said, “Light it.” I remember thinking, “Really? This is science? I used to do this as a kid to test old batteries.” But when that bulb lit up in front of my professor, something lit up in me, too.
Illustration by Glin Dibley
Illustration by Glin Dibley
If this was science — curiosity, tinkering, connection — then count me in. I do belong here. I got my degree in curriculum instruction with a focus on science and smashed every ceiling that dared get in my way. I credit my UH professors, notably Dr. John Ramsey and Dr. Eugene Chiappetta, who has since passed, for showing me what science education should look like — science as inquiry, not worksheets. I also credit my mother. She saw the educator in me.
I share this light bulb-moment story with my students because it’s important they, too, make a personal connection to why they’re pursuing STEM. Science can be scary, and if you don’t have that why answered, the journey can be rocky.
In my role as executive director of the UH STEM Center, I’m fortunate to teach a vast range of students, from kindergarten to college, and the greatest challenge is protecting their why. Little ones have no problem asking why over and over, but keeping that curiosity from dulling as they grow is key. We, as educators, must protect that.
I’ve taught, crafted curriculum and supported veteran educators, but what really fuels me is shifting one’s mindset — creating lasting systems-level impact beyond the classroom. I love watching that paradigm shift when a preservice teacher says, “I think I can do this.”
“I know what it feels like to not belong, and that experience drives my mission to ensure today’s students feel seen, included and capable.”
“I know what it feels like to not belong, and that experience drives my mission to ensure today’s students feel seen, included and capable.”
In 2013, when the STEM Center was created under the leadership of Bonnie Dunbar, a former NASA astronaut and engineer, I had the opportunity to help lead the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston. Now in its 67th year, the largest regional science fair in the state operates with massive numbers. The 2025 fair saw approximately 1,000 students (ages 10 to 18) across 23 counties, and the 2026 fair, which took place in February, welcomed a record-breaking 1,242 students and 871 projects. Seeking out the unmet needs in society, these students see what requires fixing and fix it.
I had a sixth-grade student whose science project was so well received that the now-senior wants to become a computer science teacher. Another student, using a leg device he made after learning three computer languages, helped his mentor with polio walk again.
STEM students want to change the world, and they’re passionate about it. Their research and brilliance give me goosebumps. Their stories give me hope for the future. Everything we do at the STEM Center is for those jaw-dropping moments.
Expanding Opportunity for Every Student
One way we foster that is by inviting students of all ages and backgrounds onto campus. Everyone is welcome, but ushering in a child from Houston’s Third Ward or Angel Tree is especially important. It makes the seemingly impossible possible.
With initiatives like our ConocoPhillips STEMZone Saturdays, a K–12 program that engages students in STEM through interactive sports activities, we’re showing students science is fun, it’s opportunity, it’s so much more than lab coats and beakers.
Domjan, pictured here with UH student volunteer Cassandra Fuentes at the 2025 Science and Engineering Fair of Houston, is committed to bringing more girls into STEM.
Domjan, pictured here with UH student volunteer Cassandra Fuentes at the 2025 Science and Engineering Fair of Houston, is committed to bringing more girls into STEM.
Such events are designed to reach every student — every gender, ethnicity, walk of life. I know what it feels like to not belong, and that experience drives my mission to ensure today’s students feel seen, included and capable. Especially young ladies.
With girls, including my own daughter, who I’m proud to say is now a teacher, we put the tools directly in their hands. A hammer. A drill. A light bulb. Real, tangible experiences that spark confidence. It takes a community to raise a scientist, and empowerment begins the moment a student realizes they can do science.
This work isn’t just personal, though; it’s urgent. Women continue to represent a tiny fraction of STEM careers, and yet, we have millions of unfilled jobs, and the STEM workforce is aging out. We need to show young women that there are opportunities in this space and help them realize for themselves that they have every right and opportunity to engage in STEM.
For all its urgency, this moment is also one of tremendous possibility. Technological advancements such as AI are creating jobs we didn’t know we needed and will continue to do so. The jobs our students will have in a few years may not even exist yet. That’s exciting.
So even though science fair season has cost me a fair amount of sleep, I wake up every morning with renewed purpose. Sustained by my faith and energized by my students, I keep going. Change doesn’t happen all at once. It starts with a kindling, and the luminaries follow.
Built with Shorthand