Appendix B

Biographical Sketches of Convocation Planning Committee Members, Staff, and Presenters

KIRSTEN ELLENBOGEN (planning committee chair) is president and CEO of Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio. There, she has cultivated strong community partnerships, such as the collaboration with Cleveland Metropolitan School District that extends a range of programming to every sixth, seventh, and eighth grade class. The Science Center has been honored for this work and was named a 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service finalist. Her research and evaluation bring together science communication, rhetoric, and informal science education. Ellenbogen’s leadership over the past 30 years has advanced informal science education through the Museum Learning Collaborative, the Center for Informal Learning and Schools, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network, and the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education. She has served as a board officer for numerous local and national boards and is currently chair of the Cleveland Water Alliance board of directors. She served as co-chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication and on the committee that produced the report Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits. Most recently, she has been appointed to the National Academies Board on Science Education.

THOMAS AKIVA is professor of youth development and chair of the Department of Health and Human Development at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. His research centers on fostering community change through the creation of equitable ecosystems for learning and development, and on strengthening youth development program

practices, with a particular focus on supporting adult practitioners. Akiva employs mixed methods and participatory approaches, often working within research–practice partnerships to bridge scholarship and real-world application. In 2022, he co-edited It Takes an Ecosystem: Understanding the People, Places, and Possibilities of Learning and Development Across Settings. Akiva’s applied research investigates youth–adult relationships, arts education, continuous improvement, and equity in educational and developmental systems. He recently served on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s panel that produced the 2025 report The Future of Youth Development: Building Systems and Strengthening Programs.

AMARIS ALANIS-RIBEIRO has 20 years of experience advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in informal learning environments. She currently works with the Hispanic Access Foundation as director of forestry and STEM. Alanis-Ribeiro previously directed a public nature center in Chicago, serves as an advisor to the REVISE Center, and is a former fellow of the One Sky Institute Research and Practice Collaboratory and the Association of Science and Technology Centers’ Leadership Learning Labs. She completed graduate coursework in science education at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

SUE ALLEN (planning committee member) is co-director of the Clean Conferencing Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the design of informal learning and networking experiences at virtual professional conferences. She is also principal of Allen & Associates, an independent research and evaluation consulting firm. Previously, Allen founded the Department of Visitor Research & Evaluation at the Exploratorium, led the Informal Science Education program at the National Science Foundation, served as acting division director of the Division of Research on Learning, and was a senior research scientist at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. Allen has led numerous large federally funded research projects in informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, mostly in museums or community-based programs. She has also been an external evaluator on multiple federally funded projects and has served on several national expert committees to characterize STEM learning in out-of-school settings. She holds an M.S. in astrophysics and a Ph.D. in science and mathematics education. She currently serves on the Board on Science Education (BOSE) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Her contributions to BOSE include serving on the committees that led to the consensus report Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits and the related practitioner volume Surrounded by Science.

MELISSA BALLARD is the director of programs at the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), where she leads a team focused on building the capacity of science centers and museums—and their staff—to equitably engage the public with science. She has previously held roles in advocacy, policy, research, and communications at ASTC, the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education, and the Afterschool Alliance. Prior to that, she worked at a children’s science center, where she developed a variety of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs; trained educators; and taught students. Ballard has a background in industrial and operations engineering and liberal studies, earning a B.S.E. and a B.G.S. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

EMMA BANAY is a portfolio manager at Overdeck Family Foundation. She specifically leads the Foundation’s Inspired Minds portfolio, which seeks to build the next generation of confident, creative problem-solvers by expanding access to engaging and challenging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning experiences. Prior to joining the Foundation, Banay led STEM initiatives at ExpandED Schools, New York City’s afterschool intermediary, forging partnerships with school districts, community-based organizations, city agencies, and regional STEM organizations to deliver high-quality STEM programming. Throughout her career, her work has focused on developing and scaling direct service interventions alongside field-building efforts. Previously, Banay facilitated the NYC STEM Education Network, an affiliate of the national STEM ecosystems movement, and taught science as a classroom teacher. She received a B.A. in history and science from Harvard University and an M.S. in education policy from Johns Hopkins University.

JAMIE BELL is a senior advisor for informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning at the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), where he was previously the project director and principal investigator of the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education. Prior to that, he held a variety of leadership positions in the informal STEM education field, including in youth programming and museum exhibit development at the Exploratorium, in teacher professional learning at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Science Media Group, and as a consultant on science center exhibit development for TERC. Bell also spent three years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, developing Petrosains: The Discovery Center. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon and Harvard Universities and is an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow in education. For the past year he has been serving as a Fulbright Specialist in informal STEM learning with the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw, Poland. Bell is a member of the National Academies of

Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication.

RALPH BOUQUET (planning committee member) is the director of education and outreach for NOVA, the PBS science documentary series produced by GBH. At NOVA, he and his team support science educators by creating free classroom resources and engaging new audiences for NOVA’s broadcast and digital productions through science communication events across the country. In this role, Bouquet has overseen and contributed to a wide range of NOVA’s education projects over the past decade, including NOVA’s library of more than 1,000 free educational resources on PBS Learning-Media, production of science games and interactives on the NOVA Labs platform, and outreach campaigns for NOVA’s tentpole films. He has also participated as a speaker at several science communication and education events including the National Science Teaching Association, the National Math Festival, ComSciCon, SXSWEdu, and more. Before NOVA, Bouquet taught high school biology and chemistry in Philadelphia and worked in ed-tech at a Boston-based startup. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and studied secondary science methods and urban education while completing his M.Ed. at the University of Pennsylvania.

JAMES BROWN is executive director of the STEM Education Coalition. Prior to joining the Coalition, he was director of advocacy at the American Chemical Society. A nuclear engineer by training, Brown previously worked as a legislative aide for Representative Doc Hastings of Washington, was director of policy and development at the Consumer Energy Council of America, and began his career as an engineer with Newport News Shipbuilding, working on aircraft carrier construction. He received a B.S. from the University of New Mexico and an M.S. from Penn State, both in nuclear engineering, alongside an M.B.A. from George Washington University.

MONICA E. CARDELLA is director of the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education at Florida International University (FIU). She also holds appointments in FIU’s STEM Transformation Institute and Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and is the principal investigator for the National Science Foundation (NSF)funded UNIDOS Center for HSI Community Coordination. Cardella received the NSF CAREER award in 2011, was recognized as a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2020, and received the ASEE 2019 President’s Award for the Engineering Gift Guide. Before joining FIU, she was a professor of engineering education and the director of the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering at Purdue University and served as a program director at NSF. Cardella has a B.Sc. in

mathematics from the University of Puget Sound, and both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from the University of Washington. She was previously a National Academy of Engineering postdoctoral engineering education researcher at Stanford University.

DIONNE CHAMPION is a learning sciences researcher focused on the design and ethnographic study of learning environments that blend science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and creative embodied learning activities for children who have experienced feelings of marginalization in STEM education settings. Her research focuses on STEM and arts integration through “making,” engaging youth in arts-integrated making practices with an intentional focus on developing equitable relationships, and positioning youth and communities as co-researchers. Champion works primarily with underrepresented populations, researching learning and identity in informal learning spaces and seeking to understand how the body and dance can be resources for sensemaking, contribute to the development of agency, and support healthy conversations around race, power, equity, and social issues. She is also the founder of DancExcel, a creative arts center in Gary, Indiana. Champion is currently developing a research program that studies ways to engage children in authentic STEM experiences and that interrogates and complicates the ways of thinking about sensemaking, particularly within informal learning environments such as Makerspaces.

PERRIN CHICK began her career as a science teacher and was involved in Audubon’s efforts to scale citizen science projects into middle schools. She went on to work as the education director of an outdoor education center. During her tenure at the Seacoast Science Center, Chick worked to scale up family engagement activities across New England. She is a member of Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and currently serves as the principal investigator on Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM (ACRES; a National Science Foundation [NSF]-funded project). The ACRES project connects out-of-school providers to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics resources through in-person and virtual professional learning opportunities. Now in a scale-up phase through NSF’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning program funding, ACRES coaches are able to provide services across the country, and the project has participants in 50 states.

CAREN COOPER is a professor of public science in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University (NC State), with her early career including the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. She has led co-creation efforts such as the Data Ethics Toolkit and the Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Accessible, Large-scale program. Cooper created the Citizen Science Campus program at NC State,

including a graduate Certificate in Participatory Sciences, a Citizen Science Project Incubator, and annual campus engagement events. Cooper led the committee to create the journal Citizen Science: Theory and Practice and serves as special collections editor as well as associate editor-in-chief. She was co-chair of the international CODATA-WDS Task Group on Citizen Science and the Validation, Curation, and Management of Crowdsourced Data and current member of the CODATA-WDS Task Group on Data from Participatory Mapping for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

KEVIN J. CROWLEY (planning committee member) is a professor of education and a senior scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center. He studies informal learning and its connection to learning ecosystems. Crowley’s work has often focused on children’s science learning and has explored the role of educators and caregivers who know how to facilitate children’s learning and development through collaboration, conversation, and brokering of new learning opportunities. Recent projects focus on community-based networks to support climate change education in rural areas, the role of interest and identity in shaping lifelong learning pathways, and designing partnerships and networks that can bring museums and community-based organizations together in support of family learning and literacy. He is co-editor of Visitor Studies and served for 15 years as co-lead of the Center for Advancing Informal Science Education. Crowley has a B.A. in psychology and education from Swarthmore College as well as both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University.

KAREEM EDOUARD is an assistant professor of learning technologies at Drexel University’s School of Education; co-director of the Informal Learning Linking Engineering, Science, and Technology Lab; and co-creator and executive producer of the live action science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) YouTube Kids series MayNERD’s Wild World of Science. Through projects such as the Black Male Animation Lab, he supports Black boys in using design and storytelling to explore their identities while building technical and STEM skills. At the heart of Edouard’s practice is a commitment to equity, creativity, and real-world application. He also serves as a creative producer on the PBS KIDS series Work It Out Wombats!, a show that celebrates problem-solving and community through the lens of diverse characters and stories. Edouard holds a B.A. in media education from DePaul University, an M.A. in teaching from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in learning sciences and technology design from Stanford University.

VERONICA GARCIA-LUIS is the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Exploratorium. She has more than 20 years of experience

researching and developing equity-focused programs and exhibits to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning and engagement opportunities for nondominant communities. Garcia-Luis has co-led the Latino Audience Engagement effort at the Exploratorium and has most recently served as principal investigator (PI)/co-PI on several equity-focused National Science Foundation grants. She has a B.A. in art history from University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.A. in museum studies from John F. Kennedy University, where she investigated how museums can create effective partnerships with Latino families.

CECILIA GARIBAY (planning committee member) is president of Garibay Group and is a leading voice in the study and development of equity-focused research and evaluation practices in museum and other informal learning settings. She specializes in culturally responsive, transformative methodologies and brings a bicultural/bilingual perspective to her work. Bridging the worlds of research and practice, Garibay’s work has included developing framework tools for practitioners to support broadening participation. She has led numerous evaluations in the informal learning space and has served as co-principal investigator on various national initiatives in informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning spaces. Garibay is a past board member of the Visitor Studies Association. She received her Ph.D. in psychology at Saybrook University. Garibay also served on a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Board on Science Education committee, which resulted in the seminal publication Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits.

LESLIE GOODYEAR is an Education Development Center (EDC) distinguished scholar and principal evaluation director and is an internationally recognized expert in evaluation and evaluation capacity-building. She specializes in evaluating programs that seek to advance equity, and out-of-school and informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education programs. Goodyear has deep expertise in culturally responsive evaluation, building communities of practice, qualitative inquiry, and the ethics of evaluation. A past president of the American Evaluation Association, she leads evaluations for federal, state, and private clients; facilitates evaluation capacity-building; and serves as an evaluation adviser for colleagues. Goodyear took a brief leave from EDC to serve as a program officer in the Division of Research on Learning at the National Science Foundation. She has served as the Ethics Section editor and associate editor of the American Journal of Evaluation and has been chair of the American Evaluation Association’s (AEA’s) Ethics Committee. Goodyear is co-editor of Qualitative Inquiry in Evaluation. Goodyear is also the 2025 recipient of the AEA Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Evaluation Practice Award, which is

given to an evaluator whose contributions to the field of evaluation have been influential, substantial, and sustained. She holds a B.A. in developmental psychology from Macalester College and both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in program evaluation and planning from Cornell University.

PREETI GUPTA (planning committee member) is the senior director for children, family, and youth programs and research at the American Museum of Natural History. In this role, she is responsible for strategic planning and program development for out-of-school time experiences. Gupta leads a research agenda centered on youth learning and serves as faculty for the master of arts in teaching program for Earth Science teachers. She is also co-editor of the Journal of Museum Education. Prior to this work, she served as senior vice president for education and family programs at the New York Hall of Science. Her notable projects include Staying in Science, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded study that longitudinally tracks high school youth to examine persistence with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers; an NSF-funded project focused on studying what and how middle school youth learn computational thinking skills; and an Institute of Museum and Library Services–funded program to prepare college youth to effectively engage visitors in science conversations. She has a B.S. in bioengineering from Columbia University, an M.A. in education from the George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in urban education from the City University of New York Graduate Center.

JOE HANSON is a biologist and internationally recognized science communicator from Austin, Texas. He is the creator, host, producer, and head writer of Be Smart, an award-winning YouTube science education show from PBS. Hanson has won numerous awards for his work in web video and science journalism, and he is dedicated to developing new and impactful ways that digital storytelling can help people think more deeply about science and the universe they live in.

MARIJKE HECHT is assistant professor of environmental education in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at the Ohio State University. Her research focuses on urban communities, where she works collaboratively with educators and youth. Hecht explores questions of environmental identity, environmental literacy about complex ecological issues, and the structure and function of learning ecosystems. Prior to her work in academia, she taught middle and high school math and science in New York City public schools and spearheaded urban environmental restoration projects in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As director of education for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Hecht led the organization in successfully broadening participation in outdoor parks–based science education in partnership with

local K–12 educators. She received an M.S. in botany from the field naturalist program at the University of Vermont and a Ph.D. in learning sciences and policy from the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh.

JOE E. HEIMLICH (planning committee member) is lead research strategist for the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, and a researcher in COSI’s Center for Research and Evaluation. He also serves as an academy professor emeritus with the Ohio State University where he was extension specialist in museums and organizational capacity-building and leader of Environmental Science for Extension, and held appointments in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, and the College of Education and Human Ecology. Heimlich’s research focus is lifelong learning about and in the environment, with interests in integration of social role, context, and conditions of the visit. His work is primarily in informal and nonformal lifespan learning. Heimlich has served as president of North American Association for Environmental Education, as well as the Visitor Studies Association, and was on the original Scientific Committee of the World Environmental Education Congress. He currently serves as an advisor on the Global Environmental Education Partnership and the Conservation Education Committee of Association of Zoos and Aquariums, participates in the measures and data team on the Collaboration for Ongoing Visitor Experience Studies (COVES) oversight committee, and serves as an editor for Citizen Science: Theory & Practice and the Informal Learning Review.

LAURA HUERTA MIGUS has been working at a national level to advance museums’ ability to nurture and support a healthy museum workforce and better serve all audiences for more than 20 years. This work was accomplished through leadership appointments at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Association of Children’s Museums, and the Association of Science and Technology Centers. She is a noted speaker and author on topics of equity and audience-focused museum practice for institutions including the U.S. Play Coalition and various peer-reviewed texts. Huerta Migus has also spearheaded the launch of a number of groundbreaking public–private partnership initiatives, including the National Museum Survey and Museums for All. She has been named an Ascend Fellow of the Aspen Institute and was recognized as a Champion of Change for Summer Opportunity by the White House. Huerta Migus holds degrees from Texas A&M and Saint Joseph’s University.

MIZUKO (MIMI) ITO is a cultural anthropologist, learning scientist, and an advocate for connected learning—learning that is joyful, interest driven, and connected to culture and community. For more than 30 years, she has

studied digital youth culture and connected learning in Japan and the United States. Ito is professor in residence and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at the University of California, Irvine, where she directs the Connected Learning Lab. She is also co-founder of Connected Camps, a nonprofit offering social, project-based learning experiences in platforms such as Minecraft and Roblox. Ito has authored and edited eight books, published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, and Yale University Press.

HEATHER JAMESON brings a background in both formal and informal education, with a career rooted in environmental education and community collaboration. She began her career as an interpretation and education ranger at Glacier National Park; other work includes serving in the U.S. Peace Corps as a coastal resource management volunteer, working as wildlife education and outreach specialist for Northwest Alaska with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and serving on the Executive Board of the Montana Environmental Education Association. Jameson is currently strategic initiatives lead for the Montana Afterschool Alliance. Over the past year, she has launched and led the Montana STEM Ecosystem, an initiative to build a network of organizations, institutions, and individuals working collaboratively to expand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning opportunities.

KATHAYOON KHALIL is the vice president and director of the Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation at the Columbus Zoo and the Wilds. Prior to joining the Columbus Zoo, she served as associate vice president of conservation learning at the New England Aquarium. Khalil’s extensive experience also includes roles such as conservation impact manager at the Oregon Zoo and director of engagement at Canopy Strategic Partners. As a conservation psychologist, she has worked to bridge research and practice through publications and speaking engagements on topics such as empathy for animals, social learning, and conservation action. As an adjunct professor through Miami University’s Project Dragonfly program, Khalil has facilitated courses in conservation science and biodiversity, engaging students with hands-on experiences in ecosystems across the globe. She earned an M.S. in environmental science from Yale University and a Ph.D. in education, learning sciences, and technology design from Stanford University.

ANITA KRISHNAMURTHI (planning committee member) is the senior vice president for STEM & Youth Civic Engagement at the Afterschool Alliance where she also serves as the president of the Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society. This initiative of the Afterschool Alliance aims to support afterschool programs to more actively engage young people

in defining and advocating for solutions to problems that impact their communities, which often require science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge. Prior to this role, Krishnamurthi most recently served as the head of education and learning at the Wellcome Trust. Her previous roles include vice president for STEM policy at the Afterschool Alliance, program manager at NASA Headquarters, lead for education and public outreach in the Astrophysics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and the John Bahcall Public Policy Fellow at the American Astronomical Society. Krishnamurthi has a Ph.D. in astrophysics and serves on the boards of the National Girls Collaborative Project and STEM Education Coalition.

NEHEMIAH MABRY is an engineer, educator, and entrepreneur with a passion for science communication and education. With more than 15 years of engineering experience, including work as a NASA researcher, bridge design engineer, adjunct professor, and forensic engineer, he has built a career at the intersection of technical expertise and engaging storytelling. As the CEO and founder of STEMedia, an ed-tech and digital media company, Mabry creates innovative content that inspires and empowers the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community. Since launching STEMedia, he has collaborated with leading corporations, organizations, and academic institutions, producing award-winning content and impactful STEM outreach initiatives. His work has been featured on WIRED, the Smithsonian Channel, PBS Digital Studios, WGBH NOVA, Discovery, and the History Channel, among others.

REYHANEH MAKTOUFI is an Iranian-American National Geographic Explorer, a published researcher, and science communication trainer focused on storytelling and popularizing the science of science communication (SciComm). She is the co-producer, host, and illustrator of PBS NOVA’s digital series Sciencing Out, a miniseries celebrating female science communicators and their unique communication strategies. She is the co-creator of the podcast SciComm Hotline, with Stephanie Castillo, and Story Craft: The Stories We Tell and the Science Behind Them, a National Geographic Society–funded project in collaboration with Science Communication Lab. Previously, Maktoufi was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellow, where she designed SciComm training programs and strategy. Additionally, through Maktoufi’s previous fellowship with Tangled Bank Studios, she has been working extensively with science media and documentary communities to train early career producers to design and run evaluation and impact campaigns that connect science and culture and build trust with audiences. She was also a Misinformation Civic Science Fellow at PBS NOVA and a visiting researcher at the Adler Planetarium. Maktoufi has worked with

communities such as ComSciCon, South Africa–based NEWF, and Jackson Wild. Before pursuing her Ph.D. in media, technology, and society at Northwestern University, she worked as a health communication facilitator and cancer preventive/palliative care campaign manager in Tehran, Iran. She is currently a U.S.-Japan Leadership Program delegate.

DIANE MILLER recently retired as the vice president of educational programs at the Detroit Zoological Society, where she administered all educational and interpretive programming and content, and as co-investigator and director of affiliate programs and research to practice at REVISE. Before joining the Detroit Zoo, Miller spent 17 years at the Saint Louis Science Center, ultimately serving as chief school and community partnerships officer. She was the driving force behind the Youth Exploring Science program—an innovative initiative designed to engage underserved youth in hands-on science learning. Under Miller’s leadership, the program earned the Association of Science and Technology Centers’ Leading Edge Award. She was also a leadership fellow at the Noyce Foundation. Miller has collaborated extensively with formal and informal educators, parents, and community organizations to improve student outcomes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Through her work at the Detroit Zoo and beyond, she remains committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists, educators, and conservationists. Miller earned her B.A. from California State University, Chico.

MELISSA MORITZ serves as a senior advisor for the Alliance for Learning Innovation. As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce, she also serves as a senior advisor to the STEM Next Opportunity Fund and organizations focused on expanding access to and success in high-quality STEM learning experiences. Moritz previously served as the deputy director for STEM at the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama Administration and she served as the inaugural afterschool and summer learning fellow at the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. Previously, she served as the vice president of strategic initiatives for the National Math and Science Initiative. She also previously served as the vice president of STEM and education initiatives at Teach for America. Moritz graduated from the Massachusetts of Technology with a degree in biology prior to joining Teach for America and serving as a middle-school science teacher in Washington Heights, New York City.

NALINI NADKARNI is a professor of biology at the University of Utah. Her unique academic career interweaves her scientific research on rainforest canopy biota with innovative public engagement. In addition to academic

publications, she engages with those who do not or cannot gain access to science education, including faith-based groups, artists, corporations, and people who are incarcerated. Previously, supported by the National Science Foundation, she created the STEM Ambassador Program, which trains academic scientists to design, implement, and evaluate public engagement events in community venues where people work, live, recreate, and worship. Her work is featured in journals ranging from Science to Playboy and in public media such as Science Friday; Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me; and RadioLab. The National Geographic Society has named her as one of their 10 Explorers at Large. Her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Public Engagement, the National Science Foundation Award for Public Service, the Rachel Carson Award for Conservation, and the Wilson Award for the Advancement of Social Justice.

LUCY OLIVEROS is a senior program assistant for the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She supports the consensus study on Equitable and Effective Teaching in Undergraduate STEM Education, the consensus study produced by the Committee to Assess NASA Science Activation 2.0, and the Convocation on the Status of Informal Science and Engineering Education. She earned her B.A. in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley.

RAE OSTMAN is a research professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, co-director of the Center for Innovation in Informal STEM Learning, and a senior global futures scientist at Arizona State University (ASU). She is also a leader of the National Informal STEM Education Network, which is currently managed through ASU. Ostman’s current interests include co-creating learning experiences with communities; engaging learners in exploring the relationship of science, technology, and society; and working in immersive formats such as experiential futures and XR games. Prior to joining ASU, she worked at Acoustiguide, Cornell Botanic Gardens, the Exploratorium, the Museum of the Moving Image, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and Sciencenter. She earned a B.A. in cultural analysis of arts from Cornell University and both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in anthropology from New York University.

RON OTTINGER is executive director of STEM Next Opportunity Fund. Over the past two decades, he has been instrumental in shaping and expanding the out-of-school time science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field and positioning out-of-school time programs as vital to STEM education. Ottinger previously served as executive director of the Noyce Foundation and, at the Noyce Foundation’s sunset, helped

to establish its successor, STEM Next Opportunity Fund. STEM Next’s Million Girls Moonshot initiative was launched in 2020 to engage 1 million girls in STEM learning opportunities through afterschool and summer programs by 2025. It surpassed its goal within four years, reaching more than 2.6 million girls and 5.2 million young people overall. Ottinger co-founded the STEM Funders Network and helped launch the STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative. Prior to STEM Next and the Noyce Foundation, Ottinger served as national associate director of the nonprofit AVID Center for 14 years and served three terms on the San Diego City Schools’ Board of Education.

SCOTT PATTISON (planning committee member) is a research scientist and co-director of the Center for Equitable Family STEM Learning at TERC. He has been studying and supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and learning for over two decades as an educator, program and exhibit developer, evaluator, and researcher. Pattison’s current work focuses on engagement, learning, and interest and identity development in free-choice and out-of-school environments, including museums, community-based organizations, and everyday settings. He specializes in using qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the processes and mechanisms of learning in naturalistic settings. Pattison has partnered with numerous educational and community organizations across the country to support learning for diverse communities. He earned a Ph.D. in science education at Oregon State University.

KYLIE PEPPLER is a professor of informatics and education at the University of California, Irvine, where she also directs the Creativity Labs and serves on the leadership team of the Connected Learning Lab. Her research explores how creative, interest-driven activities—such as making, fashion design, and digital storytelling—support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning across diverse out-of-school contexts. Peppler has led multiple large-scale federally funded research projects, including several supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. She was a major contributor to the MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Media and Learning Initiative and played a key role in advancing the maker movement within education. Peppler’s recent work explores the implications of generative AI for youth learning and creativity, with an emphasis on broadening participation in STEM fields. She has served on national advisory boards related to STEM education, creativity, and innovation, and her scholarship continues to inform educational policy and practice, particularly around designing inclusive, culturally sustaining learning environments.

TINA PHILLIPS is a social scientist and assistant director of the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Her social science research and evaluation both within and outside the lab center on understanding and documenting the educational, social, and conservation impacts of citizen science globally and examining the influence of nature engagement on human well-being. Phillips is currently spearheading several large-scale human behavior change initiatives aimed at decreasing anthropogenic causes of bird mortality. Previously she led Developing, Validating, and Implementing Situated Evaluation Instruments (DEVISE), a National Science Foundation–funded project aimed at building capacity for project design and evaluation of citizen science learning outcomes. She is a guest editor for the journal Citizen Science: Theory and Practice and is serving as a board member for the Society for Conservation Biology’s Social Science Working Group. Phillips holds a B.S. in biology from Stony Brook University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in education from Cornell University. She has served as an author on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study titled Learning Through Citizen Science: Enhancing Opportunities by Design.

NICHOLE PINKARD is the Alice Hamilton Professor of Learning Sciences in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University and the Office of Community Education Partnerships faculty director. Her work focuses on creating digital learning environments that ensure equitable access to educational resources for underserved youth. Pinkard founded the Digital Youth Network, which empowers young people with digital media skills through integrated learning opportunities, closes the digital divide, and fosters digital proficiency. Pinkard served as lead learning architect of YOUmedia at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago. Her recent work on “Opportunity Landscaping” maps and optimizes community resources to enhance learning opportunities and aims to make visible the ecosystem of opportunities available in a community to facilitate collaborative approaches to addressing inequities by improving geographic access to educational resources. Pinkard’s contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including a National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award, Common Sense Media Award, the Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies, and recognition as an American Educational Research Association (AERA) fellow. She earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University.

CHRISTINE REICH is president of TERC. She is an educator, evaluator, researcher, and nonprofit executive who has worked in the field of informal science learning for over two decades; she is also currently an adjunct lecturer for education in the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology

program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and president of the Visitor Studies Association. Previously, Reich served as the CEO of Knology, Ltd. and as the Jane and Payson Swaffield Chief Learning Officer at the Museum of Science, Boston. As a researcher, she has published on a wide range of topics connected to informal science learning, including organizational learning, emotional engagement, and inclusion for people with disabilities. A strong advocate for inclusivity, Reich was honored as a Champion of Change by the Obama White House, and as a fellow by the Noyce Leadership Institute. She has a B.S. in agricultural and biological engineering from Cornell University, a graduate certificate in museum studies from Harvard University, an M.Ed. in museum education from Lesley University, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College.

LAUREN RYAN is a senior program assistant for the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She previously worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, reviewing applications related to cell culture and biological analysis instruments, and spent three years working in undergraduate admissions at the University of Maine. In her work at the National Academies, Ryan has supported projects related to K–12 science standards; data science; undergraduate science; technology, engineering, and mathematics education; science communication; and addressing science misinformation. Ryan received her B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Maine and is currently pursuing an M.S. in educational psychology with a concentration in educational assessment, evaluation, and data literacy at George Mason University.

HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER is the director of the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She oversees a portfolio of work that includes K–12 science education, informal science education, and higher education. Schweingruber joined the staff of the board as a senior program officer where she directed or co-directed several projects including the study that resulted in the report A Framework for K–12 Science Education (2012), the blueprint for the Next Generation Science Standards. Schweingruber is a nationally recognized leader in leveraging research findings to catalyze improvements in science and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education policy and practice. She also previously served on the faculty of Rice University and as the director of research for the Rice University School Mathematics Project, an outreach program in K–12 mathematics education. She has a Ph.D. in psychology (developmental) and anthropology and a certificate in culture and cognition, both from the University of Michigan.

JYLANA SHEATS is a behavioral scientist, educator, and public health leader who works across sectors to drive behavior change and address complex societal challenges, drawing on citizen science, community-based participatory research, and design thinking to help communities and institutions reimagine their role in creating equitable health outcomes. Sheats brings her participatory and integrated approach to two leadership roles: as associate professor and course director for social innovation at the Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and as associate director of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program. She also serves in advisory capacities for the Open Research Community Accelerator, the Stanford School of Medicine Research Fellowship Program in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, and the Climate Mental Health Network. Sheats holds degrees from Spelman College, Tulane University, and Indiana University-Bloomington, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.

ERIKA SHUGART is principal of Erika Shugart Consulting, a firm that supports nonprofit leadership through strategic planning, governance improvement, team-building, and association management. Prior to her consulting work, she was the CEO of two professional associations, the National Science Teaching Association and the American Society for Cell Biology. At both organizations, she led strategic planning initiatives that drove organizational success, collaborated with volunteer leadership to revise governance, and built high-performing teams. Shugart was the director of communications and marketing strategy at the American Society for Microbiology. In addition to her deep expertise in nonprofit leadership, she has been recognized for her expertise in science communication. Shugart received her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Virginia. She previously oversaw the development of new digital media exhibitions, online experiences, and programs as deputy director of the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences.

DAVID SITTENFELD serves as director for the Center for the Environment at the Museum of Science, Boston, where he has worked for more than 25 years, leading the Museum’s work on projects for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Sloan Foundation, and the United Nations. He co-led the NOAA-funded Citizen Science, Civics, and Resilient Communities and Science Center Public Forums projects, which implemented science-to-civics activities at 30 U.S. science centers on extreme heat, drought, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise. Sittenfeld led the Wicked Hot Boston and Wicked Hot Mystic projects, which identified heat- and air quality–related vulnerabilities in more than 20 communities

in Greater Boston through community-engaged participatory science, and is a member of the leadership team for the NOAA-funded Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring. Sittenfeld holds a Ph.D. from Northeastern University, where he researched participatory methods and geospatial modeling for public engagement about climate-related hazards.

STEVE SNYDER is the president and CEO of the Fleet Science Center. He held previous positions at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and the Kansas City Museum in Kansas City. Snyder was a Noyce Leadership Fellow and, as the director of the Science Theater Outreach project, led the group to receive the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology. He has served on numerous local and national advisory and nonprofit boards including the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, and the Informal Learning Leadership Collaborative. Snyder graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and earned a Ph.D. in physics at Michigan State University.

GINA NAVOA SVAROVSKY is the faculty director of the Center for Broader Impacts, the interim director of the Center for STEM Education, and a professor of the practice at the University of Notre Dame. For over two decades, she has been interested in how young people learn science and engineering in both formal and informal learning environments. Svarovsky also leads and conducts research on the STEM Teaching Fellows program at Notre Dame. Prior to returning to Notre Dame, Svarovsky worked as a senior evaluation and research associate at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where she led a number of research and evaluation studies focused on exploring informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. She earned her B.S. in chemical engineering from Notre Dame and her Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Wisconsin.

TIFFANY E. TAYLOR (project director) is a senior program officer for the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She is currently the study director for the consensus study on Understanding and Addressing Misinformation about Science, and she also provides leadership, management, and support for several ongoing projects including the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication, the Expert Meeting Series to Support Effective Federal Health Communications, and the Expert Meeting on Implications for Science Education of Increasing AI and Robotics Capabilities. She came to the National Academies as a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow, where she also worked with the Board on Science Education. She holds a

B.S. in biology from Howard University and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of California, San Diego.

DARRYL WILLIAMS is the Franklin Institute’s senior vice president of science, education, and human resources, where he oversees all aspects of science and educational programming, as well as the capacity-building talent management strategy. Williams has previous leadership experience in nonprofit, federal government, and higher education directing a range of programs and research focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning; designing formal and informal STEM learning environments; and STEM workforce development. Williams earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from Hampton University and both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is a member of the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.