David Joseph Butler

Southern Wells Junior Senior High School
Poneto, Indiana

Member Since: 2007

NABT Activities:

• Region III Coordinator (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI), 2023 - 2025
• Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) Application Reviewer, 2023 - current
• Biology Club Advisor and BioClub Facebook Administrator, 2005- current
• The American Biology Teacher Photo Cover: V. 73, No. 5, September, 2011
• NABT Professional Conference Attendee to include 2001, 2002, 2012, 2019, 2022, 2023 
• Professional Development Conference Presenter, 2001 and 2002

Additional Leadership Experience:

• Indiana Association of Biology Teachers (IABT) Vice President Elect, President, and Webmaster, 2013 - current
• Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, (HASTI) Conference Committee Member, 2016 - current
• High School Beginning Teacher Mentor; Support, Supervision, and Evaluation of New Teachers, 2005 - current
• National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) Conference Session Proposal Reviewer, 2019
• HASTI Director-at-Large and District Director, President Elect, President, and Executive Board Member, 2016 - 2023

Honors & Additional Activities:

• Corporation Teacher of the Year Award, Wells County Chamber of Commerce, 2023
• Emerging Leader in Education Recognition, by the Indiana Department of Education, 2023
• Author: Butler, D. (2022). Science Strategies to Increase Student Learning and Motivation in Biology and Life Science Grades 7 Through 12. Page Publishing, Inc.
• National Teacher Hall of Fame Semi-Finalist Recognition, 2020
• HASTI Annual Convention Presenter on Various Topics, 1995-2020
• Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching State Finalist, 2019
• Bureau of Education & Research, 101 Best Strategies to Increase Student Learning and Motivation in Biology/Life Science (Grades 6-12) Presenter, in NH, RI, and NJ, 2017
• HASTI Clyde Motts Award for Innovative High School Science Teaching, 2016
• NSTA Convention Presenter on Anatomy and Physiology Labs and Activities, Indianapolis, Indiana 2012
• NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award, 2012
• Numerous Grants and Publications: ie. “The Hooser Science Teacher”

Personal Statement:

Education needs to be viewed as an exciting challenge with countless rewards. As a regional coordinator for District III, I have had the opportunity to offer guidance, resources, and support to biology teachers and OBTA region directors. In addition, I have encouraged NABT members to continue to develop incentives for educators to join and participate in the NABT family. By being involved at multiple levels of science education for many years, I have helped educators be disseminators of knowledge and thus helped elevate the quality of life science education locally, state-wide, and at the national level. 

As an NABT board member, I will use my leadership experiences to continue to serve educators by upholding NABT’s mission and value statements and promoting NABT involvement for all biology teachers throughout the country.

Lee Ferguson

Upper School Honors and AP Biology Teacher
The Episcopal School of Dallas

Member Since: 2010

NABT Activities:

• Region VII Coordinator (AZ, AR, NM, OK, TX), 2023 - 2005
• NABT Professional Development Conference Presenter, 2014 - 2023
• Professional Development Committee, 2020 - current
• BioClub Scholarship Application Reviewer, 2019 - current
• Co-chair, AP Biology Section Professional Development Committee, 2021 - current
• Ron Mardigian Biotechnology Award Committee Member, 2023 - current
• Texas OBTA Director, 2018 - 2020

Additional Leadership Experience

• Texas Association of Biology Teachers (TABT) President and Past President, 2016 - 2017
• North Texas Pioneers Rotary Club Secretary, 2014 - 2016
• Founder, DFW AP Biology Professional Learning Community, 2012 - Present
• Advanced Biology Team Lead, Allen High School, Allen, TX, 2003 - 2021

Honors & Additional Activities

• Co-Lead AP Biology Consultant, current
• Contributor, College Board AP Biology Course and Exam Description, 2019
• AP Biology Exam Reader, 2006 - present
• AP Biology Standard Setting Panel, 2022
• Contributor, Biology for the AP Course, 1st edition, 2022
• HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador, 2017 - Present
• NABT Kim Foglia AP Service Award, 2017
• Dan Neal Service Above Self Award, North Texas Pioneers Rotary Club, 2016
• Contributing author, Principles of Life, 2^nd edition Teachers’ Edition, 2016
• NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award Texas, 2010

Personal Statement:

The experience I have as a veteran biology educator and education consultant has provided me with the leadership skills and capacity to help lead fellow biology educators. I have developed relationships with teachers, vendors, and organizations through my work as a provider of professional learning that I hope to leverage to build capacity and provide more opportunities.

I want to work closely with NABT’s JEDI committee to find ways to bring more teachers and students of color into our organization, not just as members, but as presenters, so that the professional learning opportunities provided to our community are as diverse as possible. I have served as Texas’ OBTA Coordinator and am familiar with the selection process required to choose exemplary biology educators. I want to continue to elevate excellent life science educators by ensuring that each state/province has an OBTA represented at the annual conference each year. I would also like to encourage teachers to apply for the PAEMST in years where they are eligible and help connect them to resources to aid them in the application process. I also want to serve as an advocate to state science leaders whose states may be in curriculum reviews to let them know that we support their efforts to ensure that science education is evidence-based and free from pseudoscience.

As biology educators, we have a responsibility to ensure that science is accessible to all, and that starts with our organization recruiting educators who represent the diversity in our schools and growing them into science education leaders.