Lindsey Fields

Biology Professor and Department Chair
Butler Community College
El Dorado, KS

NABT Member Since 2004

NABT Activities:

• NABT Representative for NSF-funded project, “Fostering Community College Collaborations with Disciplinary Societies” (2023)
• Director at Large (2018 - 2020)
• Chair, Two-Year College Section (2017)
• Vice Chair, Two-Year College Section (2016)
• Secretary, Two-Year College Section (2015)

Additional Leadership Experience:

• Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Site Team member, BCC (2023 - Present)
• Key Volunteer, Kansas Air National Guard 184th Wing (2019 - Present)
• Biomedical Engineering Advisory Board, Wichita State University (2019 - Present)
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) Founder and Committee Member, BCC (2017 - Present)
• Faculty Development Team Leader, BCC (2014 - Present)

Honors & Additional Activities:

• Biology and Mathematics Educators (BIOME) Institute (2022)
• Holmberg, T. J., Gusky, S., Kiser, S., Karpakakunjaram, V., Seitz, H., Fletcher, L., Fields, L., Nenortas, A., Corless, A., & Marcos, K. (2021). Biology Educators, Professional Societies, and Practitioner Networks within Community Colleges. New Dir for Community Coll, 2021: 15-28.
• Nenortas, Apryl, Fields, Lindsey. Editorial: Two Year Colleges (TYC) are Essential in Science Education Research and TYC Faculty and Students Should Get Involved. Journal of College Science Teaching. September/October 2019. 49:1, 9-11.
• Kansas State Science Fair Judge (2018 - Present)

Personal Statement:

I have learned that listening, collaboration, and taking action when you are able are some of the most critical components to being a great leader. Those lessons started when I was elected to my first leadership role at NABT. I became Secretary of the Two-Year College Section, and as a part of that position, I was in charge of the awards committee. I listened to past committee chairs, applicants, and winners and changed how the entire application procedure was done for the Two- Year Section Awards. I streamlined the process to make it easier for applicants to get materials submitted and committee members to evaluate them.

Throughout my time in all of my leadership positions within NABT, I have had the opportunity to engage in conversations with educators at all levels, from junior high school to four-year colleges, to encourage collaboration and communication to advance science education as a whole. NABT has given me the skills and opportunity to take on multiple leadership roles in my personal and professional life. As the current chair of my department, I have regularly depended on the leadership skills I gained through NABT.  When I served on the Board of Directors as the Director-at-Large, I got a first-hand account of how important it is to serve in a role like President-Elect and what this position entails. As a board member, I continually worked to promote NABT so that we can improve science education at local, state, and national levels and will continue to do so if elected. I look forward to the opportunity to serve the NABT community as President-Elect.  

Vision & Goals for NABT:

“Learning, not perfection.” This phrase can be heard in my classroom on a regular basis, especially before exams. I started saying it to show my students that I care more about what they have learned than their view of the “perfect” score on any assessment. I have come to realize that NABT has provided that exact environment for me since the early 2000s. To me, the mission and vision of the organization provide a consistent, supportive environment that allows science educators to be able to learn from each other and not worry about being “perfect” in the classroom. It is a safe space to learn, grow, fail, try again, succeed, and surround fellow teachers with encouragement.

Science educators and their classrooms are coming under attack more and more from both local and state level entities. I feel it is the role of NABT to continue to be the place that they can come to for support, encouragement, and empowerment. Moving forward, NABT needs to continue to adapt to the ever-changing needs of educators by putting additional emphasis towards inclusive teaching and best pedagogical practices for our diverse classrooms. We need to work closely with current members and the NABT Board of Directors to encourage membership, participation and leadership throughout all levels of the organization that represent that diversity. While serving on a committee as an NABT representative this past year, I realized that we could benefit by collaborating with other disciplinary societies to better help our membership and advance biology and life science education to best serve our students.

Listening to the needs of the membership and taking action when we are able are the best ways for NABT to fulfill its values and goals of offering the highest-quality professional development, advocating for teachers, and providing the NABT family that so many of us have come to rely on. 

Vedham Karpakakunjaram, PhD

Biology Professor
Montgomery College
Rockville, MD

NABT Member Since 2016

NABT Activities:

• Chair, Two-Year College Section Chair (2021)
• Coauthored Guest Commentary for The American Biology Teacher (September 2019)
• Reviewer, The American Biology Teacher (2017 – Present)
• Offered five mini-grants and NABT membership through the NSF grant project– Quantitative Biology at Community Colleges (QB@CC) for first-time attendees to participate in the 2023 NABT Conference.
• Coauthored book chapter focused on inclusive leadership practices at professional societies like NABT. Anticipated to be published in 2025.
• Presenter at the NABT Professional Development Conference (2017 – Present)

Additional Leadership Experience

• Co-Principal Investigator, Quantitative Biology at Community Colleges (QB@CC), an NSF-funded RCN UBE grant (2019-2024)
• Collegewide Faculty Liaison, Early College (Dual Enrollment) Program (2021-Present)
• Steering Committee Member for the Middle States Self-Study (2024-2027) at Montgomery College.
• Co-chair, Collegewide Curriculum Committee, Montgomery College, MD (2019 - 2023)
• Member of several Montgomery College Committees related to Equity and Inclusion, the institution’s strategic plan, and Presidential transition (2017-2023)

Honors & Additional Activities

• NISOD Award of Excellence (2021)
• Outstanding Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarly or Professional Accomplishments from Montgomery College, (2020)
• Esquibel, J., Rook, D. L., LoRe, S.M., Starnes, J. H., Miller, J. M., Buntz, J. G., Hugo, A., Nieuwsma, C.B., Seitz, H., Bissell, A., Gross, L., Kiser, S., Lenhart, S., Mills, M.A., Neuhauser, C., Corriette, I., Prescott, S., Jenkins, K. P., & Karpakakunjaram, V. (2023). Quantitative Biology at Community Colleges, a Network of Biology and Mathematics Faculty Focused on Improving Numerical and Quantitative Skills of Students. CBE – Life Sciences Education, 22(2): ar16. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-09-0244
• Holmberg, T. J., Gusky, S., Kiser, S., Karpakakunjaram, V., Seitz, H., Fletcher, L., Fields, L., Nenortas, A., Corless, A., & Marcos, K. (2021). Biology Educators, Professional Societies, and Practitioner Networks within Community Colleges. New Dir for Community Coll, 2021: 15-28.
• Reviewer for BioScience, Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, The Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, workshop presenter for AAAS Annual meetings, SABER and SABER East Conferences, and judge for student research presentations at the AAAS Annual Meeting.
• Plenary Speaker at the Inaugural 2024 SABER East Conference in May 2024 (Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY)

Personal Statement:

Over the past 14+ years, I have grown as a biology educator, often critically reflecting on my pedagogical strategies and their impact on students’ learning experiences. I attribute these transformations within my professional skillsets largely to the professional development opportunities that I obtained throughout my career. The formal training gained at NABT’s annual conferences and BioQUEST’s summer workshops and informal conversations with mentors and friends at these meetings have strongly influenced and defined my professional identity. I also quickly learned that giving back is a rewarding professional act and that I should extend it to beyond my students at Montgomery College. In spite of my default introverted instincts, I have met and welcomed new members participating in professional meetings, have learned from them, expanded my network of passionate educators, and even mentored a few of them to be future leaders.

My experiences working with Two-Year Section Leaders at NABT, which included serving in the Two-Year College Awards Committee and leading an NSF grant to build a nationwide, interdisciplinary community college network with 100+ participants, align well with the responsibilities of the NABT President-Elect. I consider it an honor to serve the NABT community if elected to the President-Elect position.

Vision & Goals for NABT:

I have been a member of NABT and have participated in all the NABT Annual Conferences since 2016. If elected to serve as the President-Elect, I will create opportunities to increase membership of diverse educators that are currently underrepresented (part-time faculty, for example) and not represented in NABT. Six of my colleagues from the Biology Department, including a part-time faculty, participate in the NABT Annual Conference each year – for most of them, the NABT Conference has been the only avenue to engage with a professional society.

I have demonstrable skills to bring diverse groups of members together, collaborate, and accomplish tasks in a timely manner, which aligns well with many of the core values of NABT. As the co-lead of an NSF-funded project, I have built a network of over 100 community college faculty teaching biology and mathematics, from about 45 community colleges across 30 states in the US. The grant’s partner organizations, like NABT, AMATYC, and NISOD, have strongly supported the growth of the network. With the collective support from NABT and the grant funds, I could facilitate a diverse group of participants to attend the NABT Annual conferences in the past 4 years, culminating in nearly thirty of us, including five first-time NABT members with mini-grants, attending the 2023 Annual Conference. I have also mentored and supported two participants from my grant to take up responsibilities in the Two-Year Section’s leadership pathway.

The national conversation about rethinking higher education has ramped up post-pandemic, and with the emergence of AI tools, I envision NABT and its membership being key players in shaping these conversations and influencing the structure of biology education for future citizens. Advocating for biology educators at all levels and facilitating their professional growth will continue to be an integral part of my service-minded leadership philosophy.

Kristy Daniel, PhD

Professor
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX

NABT Member Since 2006

NABT Activities:

• Director-at-Large (2023 - Present)
• Region VII Coordinator (2020 - 2022)
• Nominations Chair, Four-Year College & University Section (2019 - 2023)
• Chair, Four-Year College & University Section (2018) and Executive Board Member (2016 Secretary, 2017 Vice Chair, 2019 Past Chair)
• Advisory Board Member, The American Biology Teacher (2016 - 2021)

Additional Leadership Experience:

• AP Biology Table Leader (2021, 2023 - Present); AP Biology Standard Setting Panel (2022)
• Board Member, Informal Science Education Association of Texas (ISEA) (2021 - Present)
• Certified Interpretive Guide Trainer, National Association for Interpretation (2021 - Present)
• Commission on Education and Communication Member, International Union for Conservation of Nature (2016 - Present)
• Mentor for UC San Diego and San Diego City College, Biology Education Intersegmental Collaborative (BEIC) (2021 - 2022)

Honors and Additional Activities:

• Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Teaching, Texas State University (2023)
• LBJ Institute Faculty STEM Education Research Fellow, Texas State University (2021-2022)
• Significant Contributions to the Chapter (2020). Master Naturalists recognizes one member per chapter for this award each year.
• Excellence in University Teaching, The Univerity of Southern Mississippi (2015)
• Outstanding Faculty Service Award, The College of Science and Technology, The Univerity of Southern Mississippi (2012)

Personal Statement:

I am a dedicated Biology Teacher with experience teaching in Higher Education, High School, and limited Middle School contexts. I also have twelve years of experience directing Biology in Ireland education abroad programs. I believe that my diverse experience as an educator will help me support all biology teachers across sections.

Outside of teaching, I identify as a Biology Education Researcher and focus my projects on supporting ways to make science more accessible to non-scientists. I am particularly interested in exploring the use of visuals in biology, building interest and equity in STEM outdoor education by using culturally reflective practices, and communicating socioscientific issues in and out of the classroom. I have received multiple grants (including NSF, TPWD, Tri-Beta, HHMI, and private foundations) to fund my efforts. I have published my work involving graduate students, undergraduate students, and practicing educators as co-authors. Our scholarly work includes both research-based teaching lessons and research findings articles published in the American Biology Teacher and other top journals.

 I have served as a Director-at-Large for NABT for the past two years and I have also presented/co-presented multiple sessions and workshops at the NABT Professional Development Conferences ever since joining in 2006. My experience with leading and mentoring as a biology education researcher affords me perspective to support the ongoing scholarship of our professional community. I would be honored to continue serving our NABT community!

Sheela Vemu, PhD

Associate Professor of Biology
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, IL

NABT Member Since 2013

NABT Activities:

• Two-Year College Section Chair (2022)
• Host of NABT Community Conversation, a series of webinars on equity, high-impact practices, and community college student success teaching tips.
• Judge, NABT CESR Poster Competition (2022 – Present)
• Judge, Student Poster Competitions at the NABT Conference (2022 - Present)
• Presenter, NABT Professional Development Conference (2022 - 2023)

Additional Leadership Experience:

• Auxiliary Board Member, Chicago Council on Science and Technology, c2st.org, (2020 - Present)
• Monitoring Editorial Board member for CBE-Life Sciences Education (LSE) journal (2021 - Present)
• Panelist at the Roundtable Listening Session organized by the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) Office of Science (2022)
• Steering Committee Leader, Student-Centered Research@ Tiny Earth Summer Symposium (2022 - Present)
• Organizing Committee Lead for SABER Special Interest Group (SIG) for Community Colleges @ first Regional Midwest SABER at St Louis (2023)

Honors & Additional Activities:

• NABT Two-Year College Teaching Award (2003)
• American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition (2024)
• Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Member Award (2024)
• Outstanding Faculty Award, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, (2023)
• Faculty Excellence Award, The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, (2024)

Personal Statement:

My current academic position as a full-time faculty member at a Two-Year Hispanic-serving Institution with a high percentage of first-generation college-bound students has provided me with a unique landscape of challenges and opportunities. This experience has shaped my involvement in local and national reform efforts, which focus on creating an inclusive and equitable educational ecosystem. Serving in various roles in multiple intersecting circles of influence has given me valuable insights into transforming the two-year life science educational landscape. These experiences have prepared me for a leadership position at NABT, where I aim to leverage my skills to enhance the organization's inclusivity and representation. I believe in investing in each other’s success and am committed to working alongside colleagues representing diverse stakeholder interests. Through my involvement with NABT, I have gained a more profound interest in implementing and improving strategies to support faculty with evidence-based methodologies. These efforts are crucial for advancing post-secondary teaching and learning across diverse undergraduate education contexts.

Blake Touchet, EdD

Science Education Specialist
National Center for Science Education (NCSE)
Abbeville, LA

NABT Member Since 2019

NABT Activities:

• Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) Director (2019 - Present)
• Presenter, NABT Professional Development Conference (2021 - 2023)
• Co-Presenter, 2023 NCSE Evolution Symposium at NABT featuring special guest Riley Black
• Author, Guest Commentary for The American Biology Teacher, “A Dozen Dos and Don’ts of Teaching Climate Change” in ABT (2024)

Additional Leadership Experience:

• Teacher Corps Member, Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science (2015 - 2022)
• Teacher Ambassador, National Center for Science Education (NCSE) (2018 - 2022)
• Region IV Representative, Louisiana Science Teachers Association (2016 - 2018)
• Teacher Leader Advisor, Louisiana Department of Education (2017 - 2019)
• Committee Member, Louisiana Department of Education Range-finding and Data Review for the Biology LEAP State Assessment (2018)

Honors & Additional Activities:

• NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Louisiana (2019)
• Louisiana Secondary Science Teacher of the Year (2019 - 2020)
• Keynote Speaker, Louisiana March for Science in Baton Rouge (2017)
• Louisiana Secondary Science Teacher of the Year (2019 - 2020)
• Published a book chapter “The Nature of Science, Evolution, and Storytelling” in the anthology ”On Teaching Evolution” edited by Bertha Vazquez (2021)
• Conducted a 2-year curriculum field test case study with teachers across the country and published the results in an article titled “Pedagogy vs Reality: An Investigation of Supports and Barriers when Implementing NGSS Storylines” in the Journal Research Issues in Contemporary Education (2024)

Personal Statement:

My experiences as a teacher leader in my district, state, and with professional organizations across the country have given me many opportunities to create networks, coordinate, and lead professional development workshops in many states across the nation. I think that these experiences will serve me well as Regional Coordinator for Region VI. In my role as a Science Education Specialist at the National Center for Science Education, I have become familiar with the state science standards of all the states in this region as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by teachers in these states. In addition to working with teachers in this region, I have also had the opportunity to communicate with and provide professional learning for administrators relating to science education and supporting science teachers. My goals are to create support systems that improve the science education communities, especially across the Southeastern US.

Abigail Warden

Educator
Pearl River Community College
Hattiesburg, MS

NABT Member Since 2010

NABT Activities:

• Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) Director for Mississippi
• Attendee, NABT Professional Development Conference

Additional Leadership Experience:

• President, Mississippi Association of Biology Educators (2013 and 2014)
• Member, Mississippi Association of Biology Educators (1998 – Present)
• Member, Mississippi Science Teachers Association
• Science Club Sponsor (2015 – Present)
• Department Chair (2000 – 2015)

Honors & Additional Activities:

• NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (2012)
• Received the Above and Beyond from students at Pearl River Community College (2023)
• Presented Nature at the Mother Nature Conference at USM (2012)
• Created enrichment activities with my Honors classes for the Hattiesburg Zoo and Wild Acres in McHenry, MS

Personal Statement:

As a dedicated biology educator with 26 + years of experience, my passion for science education and community engagement has driven my professional journey. My role as a biology teacher has allowed me to inspire students, fostering a deep appreciation for the natural world and the scientific method. I have consistently sought to enhance my pedagogical skills, staying current with educational trends and advancements in biological sciences. This commitment to growth has led me to take on leadership roles within my school, where I have coordinated projects and led initiatives to promote biology education.

My involvement in professional organizations, including NABT and MSABE, has been key to my growth in science education. I have actively participated in workshops, conferences, and collaborative networks, which have enriched my understanding of educational challenges and opportunities. These experiences have given me a passion for helping young educators and providing encouragement when needed.

As a Regional Coordinator for the National Association of Biology Teachers, I am eager to leverage my experience to support and empower educators in our region. I am committed to fostering a collaborative environment, facilitating OBTA opportunities, and advocating for the highest standards in biology education. My goal is to contribute to a wonderful community of educators dedicated to advancing the field of biology education.