National Geographic Learning Exploring Science ©2019

Associate Dean and Professor of Science Education, College of Education, Oregon State University

Dr. Randy Bell began his career as a forest ecology researcher in the Pacific Northwest. His interest in sharing science with others led him to pursue a teaching license, and he taught science for six years in rural eastern Oregon. Currently, Dr. Bell teaches preservice teachers, provides professional development for practicing teachers, and researches and develops curricular materials. He has received numerous teaching awards as well as research and mentoring awards from international organizations. Author of more than 200 articles and books, Dr. Bell’s primary areas of research focus on teaching and learning about the nature of science and assessing the impacts of educational technologies.

Professor of Science Education and Associate Director; School of Teaching, Learning and Leadership; University of Central Florida

Dr. Malcolm B. Butler’s teaching and research address science and equity and diversity in the classroom. With a specialization in physics, he has worked to support typically underserved student populations and has interests in the areas of science and literacy, science content for elementary teachers, and professional development for teachers. He has written and contributed to several academic and practitioner journals, including The Journal of Research in Science Teaching, The Journal of Science Teacher Education, The Journal of Multicultural Education, Science Activities, and Science Scope. He has also co-authored and co-edited three books and numerous book chapters.

Department Head and Professor, STEM Education, North Carolina State University

Dr. Kathy Cabe Trundle’s leadership in science education spans more than 30 years. Her research and expertise in early childhood science education led to collaborations in China, Finland, Indonesia, and Turkey, and she engages in partnerships with early childhood leaders including Head Start and Primrose Schools® in partnership with Save the Children. Her research efforts have yielded more than 200 publications including books, research manuscripts, and professional articles. Dr. Cabe Trundle is active in developing curricula as well as science teacher education and professional development programs. Her numerous awards include Outstanding Teacher Educator of the Year presented by the Association for Science Teacher Education and a Fulbright Fellowship to support her work in Indonesia. Her love of nature and adventurous spirit took her on safaris in Tanzania and Rwanda, where she hiked among the mountain gorillas and volcanoes.

Associate Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture; University of Michigan

The focus of Dr. Cervetti’s work is on science as a context for language and literacy development. She is particularly interested in how knowledge-enriching and collaborative science instruction supports students’ reading comprehension development. She also conducts research on language and vocabulary learning in and beyond science. Dr. Cervetti has written many articles, chapters, and books for researchers and teachers. Her research on science-literacy integration has received funding from the National Science Foundation and appeared in leading literacy and science journals, including Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Professor in Literacy, Language, and Culture and in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology; University of Michigan

Dr. Nell K. Duke’s research and teaching focuses primarily on young children—pre-kindergarten through grade two—particularly those living in poverty. Among her areas of research is how young children learn to comprehend informational text and what teachers can do to facilitate that process. Dr. Duke has received awards for her research from the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Literacy Research Association, and the American Educational Research Association, among other organizations. She is author and co-author of numerous journal articles, book chapters, and books, including Inside Information: Developing Powerful Readers and Writers of Informational Text Through Project-Based Instruction. Her Twitter handle is @nellkduke.

Associate Professor and Director of Teacher Education, Illinois Institute of Technology

Dr. Judith S. Lederman is known nationally and internationally for her research and professional development on the teaching, learning, and assessment of Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science, in both formal and informal settings. Her teaching experiences range from pre-K to 12th grade life and physical sciences. In 2008, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to work with South African university and museum educators and K–12 science teachers. Dr. Lederman served on the Board of Directors of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and as President of the Council for Elementary Science International (CESI). She is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) and as co-editor of the Journal of Science Teacher Education.

Director of the Center for Math and Science Teaching and Associate Professor, School of Education, Loyola Marymount University

Dr. Philip Molebash has over two decades experience as a STEM educator, spanning both K–12 and university settings. As the director of a university center, he has secured millions of dollars in funding and leads several projects aimed at developing and researching best practices in K–12 STEM education. Dr. Molebash teaches courses and leads professional development in educational technology, instructional design, and STEM teaching methods to both pre-service and inservice teachers, and during his time at the University of Virginia he received the All-University Teaching Award. Known nationally as an expert on inquiry learning, Dr. Molebash has developed a variety of inquiry-oriented curricula and authored dozens of articles and chapters on the topic.