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Since being established in 1938, the National Association of Biology Teachers has been a volunteer-led organization, with members selecting the leaders of our community from our
community.
It is now time to elect the next leaders of NABT. In accordance with the NABT Constitution &
Bylaws of the association, the NABT Nominating Committee has put forward a slate of candidates for the following NABT Offices:
Please take a moment to learn more about the candidates by reviewing their biographical profiles below.
All NABT members in good standing are eligible to participate in online voting using the link that was provided via email. Please contact the NABT Office if you did not receive your
ballot.
The entire process should take only a few minutes. All votes must be cast by Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in order to be counted and certified by the NABT Board of
Directors.
Thank you for participating in this important process and for helping NABT continue to be the leader in life science education.
Biology Professor and Department Chair
Butler Community College
El Dorado, KS
NABT Member Since 2004
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors & Additional Activities:
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.
Biology Professor
Montgomery College
Rockville, MD
NABT Member Since 2016
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience
Honors & Additional Activities
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.
Professor
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
NABT Member Since 2006
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors and Additional Activities:
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!
Associate Professor of Biology
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, IL
NABT Member Since 2013
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors & Additional Activities:
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.
Science Education Specialist
National Center for Science Education (NCSE)
Abbeville, LA
NABT Member Since 2019
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors & Additional Activities:
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.
Educator
Pearl River Community College
Hattiesburg, MS
NABT Member Since 2010
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors & Additional Activities:
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.
The National Association of Biology Teachers empowers educators to provide the best possible biology and life science education for all students.
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