• EDD, Curriculum and Instruction, University of South Dakota, 2023
• Graduate Certificate, Academic Advising, Kansas State University, 2019
• MS, Education Administration, Fort Hays State University, 2015
• BSEd, Elementary Education, University of South Dakota, 2011

• Advanced Teacher, South Dakota Department of Education
• Professional Administrator, South Dakota Department of Education
• Gateway Automation and Robotics, Project Lead the Way
• Gateway Design and Modeling, Project Lead the Way

• Expanding the Core: Supporting STEM Extracurricular Activities for K-12 Students, South Dakota E-CORE SEED Grant, (2026 - 2027)
• Expanding the Core: Supporting STEM Extracurricular Activities for K-12 Students, National Science Foundation (Through the SD E-CORE Award), (2026 - 2027)

Citations listed below are presented in a standardized, modified format for display purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the preferred style and conventions of the faculty member or discipline.

• Mourlam, Daniel, and Hoefert, Branden. Anything You Can Do, I Can Do…Better? Understanding the Impact of Learning Modality on Teachers’ Ambitious Science Teaching Beliefs. Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, 2023.
• Williams, John, Reins, Kevin, and Hoefert, Branden. Robots for Science: Analysis of Preservice Teacher Outcomes through a Robotics and Coding Integration Unit in a K-8 Science Methods Course. In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, 2342-2348. Vol. 2023, Iss. 1 Waynesville, NC: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), 2023.

• James D. Moran Dissertation Award, University of South Dakota School of Education, 2023
• Excellence in Advising Award - New Advisor, National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), 2020

• Mourlam, Daniel, and Hoefert, Branden, Anything You Can Do, I Can Do…Better? Understanding the Impact of Learning Modality on Teachers’ Ambitious Science Teaching Beliefs. Presented at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, New Orleans, LA. (March 13, 2023)
• Williams, John, Reins, Kevin, and Hoefert, Branden, Robots for Science: Analysis of Preservice Teacher Outcomes through a Robotics and Coding Integration Unit in a K-8 Science Methods Course. Presented at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, New Orleans, LA. (March 2023)