About Us

Mary Dery, originally from North Tonawanda, New York, moved to the Hudson Valley after completion of a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1989.  While working at Texaco in Beacon, NY, she not only served as a research scientist and a key player on a think tank team for future business ventures, she volunteered as a member of the Scientific Literacy Team.  The Scientific Literacy Team’s mission was to increase the general understanding of science to the general public.  Some of Mary’s accomplishments during that time included:

• Approval authority for Texaco’s educational philanthropic programs nation-wide
• Creating of the portable “Science on Wheels” exhibit, currently held by the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum
• Forming a regional alliance for the advancement of math, science and technology education in the Hudson Valley
• Serving on the editing committee of the New York State Education Department’s Math, Science and Technology Standards 
• Creating the “Great Bubble Machine” exhibit currently held by the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum

When Texaco asked Mary to move to Houston, she declined, staying in the Hudson Valley to raise a family and a business, originally called FunScience, Inc. Usually seven years ahead of her time, Mary was hard pressed to get business when the schools didn’t even have copies of the new science standards.  So, Mary started taking on projects that weren’t necessarily fun (Writing Regents Variances exams in Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science) and not necessarily related to science, (School to Work Coordinator for Dutchess County).  As a result, the business name was changed to ITERI (Integrated Technical and Education Resources, Inc.).  It is no accident that Mary Dery and ITERI rhyme.

One of ITERI’s greatest accomplishments is the restructuring and improvements to the Chamber Foundation Youth Leadership Program (Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce).  Over the past ten years, Mary and staff have re-vamped the program to include an attendance requirement, increased advisor responsibilities, created heterogeneous teams for community service projects, greater accountability for mentor programs, and this year, we initiated a senior internship program with area businesses.   Mary’s dream is to have a leadership program in all the schools in the nation!

Over the years, Mary and the ITERI staff have worked on many education reform projects throughout the Hudson Valley.  Some the initiatives that have positively impacted the region include:

• Evaluating district assessment data and making recommendations for improvement such as academic intervention, new reading programs, and selecting new text books.
• Leading 8 districts in two counties for the development of elementary inquiry-based MST curriculum and resources sponsored by the Dyson Foundation.
• Setting up a School to Work network of 14 school districts in Dutchess County
• Facilitating the strategic plan of the Workforce Investment Board’s Youth Council
• Initiating the Youth Development and Employee Preparation Program for Poughkeepsie High School freshmen
• Serving on the Wappingers Industry-Education Panel
• Science staff development and “scientist in residence” in the Beacon School District 
• Data analysis of the Math 4 and 8 and ELA 4 and 8 data for districts to use to guide staff development and Academic intervention services. (She wished more districts would analyze the science data!)
• Served on the Chemistry Core Curriculum development team for the New York State Education Department

Mary is currently starting up youth empowerment programs in Putnam County, NY, teaching chemistry at Marist and Mount Saint Mary College, and raising her two daughters, Maddie, 14, and Meryl, 12.