Allison Barness began her career teaching early childhood education as a preschool, kindergarten, first grade and Reading Recovery teacher at Malcolm Price Laboratory School. Through her time as a classroom teacher, Allison learned from the experts at the Iowa Regents' Center for Early Developmental Education and quickly became enamored with STEM education. Throughout this time she pursued her MA in Early Childhood Education and continued to work closely with the center. 

At the closure of the school in 2012, she transitioned to teaching university students and began her work towards a doctorate degree. Her dissertation focused on early childhood professional learning.  Allison is an assistant professor in the Department of Teaching and her current research interests include professional learning, social and emotional development, and integrated STEM and literacy in PreK-2.