Derek Hagen
Education Program Manager
Derek Hagen, originally from Mercer Island, Washington, spent most of his youth in San Diego, California. He holds a double major in Ecology and Theatre Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Master’s degree in Middle and Secondary Curriculum Education from Appalachian State University. With 11 years of executive management experience in education, including training and recruitment, and 15 years of education program design, Derek has published over 100 educational activities and has accrued more than 1200 hours of speaking engagements. He is also a board member of the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida.
Before joining CRF™, Derek taught Zoology and Oceanography at Oak Ridge Military Academy and served as the Director of Education Relations at Mad Science Group Inc., where he developed hands-on science workshops and managed a team of educators. As his alter-ego Dr. K. Boom, Derek delivered educational programs, stage shows, and workshops to over 300 schools across North Carolina and Virginia. From 2005 to 2014, Derek was an improv comedian at the Idiot Box Comedy Club in Greensboro, NC. He now enjoys spending weekends with his wife, two children, and numerous pets. In his free time, Derek is passionate about watching movies and creatively reinventing the wheel.
