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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 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 3, 2023, in order to be counted.
Thank you for participating in this important process and for helping NABT continue to be the leader in life science education.
Science Teacher
Bloomington High School South
Bloomington, IN
Member Since: 2012
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors & Additional Activities:
Personal Statement & Goals for NABT:
Through NABT, I’ve published lessons, facilitated professional learning (and learned a bunch myself!), connected teachers to explore new ideas in both science and education, recognized colleagues through our awards program, shared our members’ wisdom in ABT’s book review column, and befriended amazing educators from across the nation.
I’m excited for the chance to apply these experiences and connections to further NABT’s vision of fostering supportive and equitable professional and educational environments, especially as we continue to build new understandings of learner-centered pedagogy and fight for world-changing scientific literacy. I fundamentally believe that our biology and life science classrooms, no matter the age or level of our students, can and should be laboratories for discovery, creativity, community, and fun!
Starting about a dozen years ago, our NABT community pulled together, leveraging our enormous pool of knowledge and talent to transform how AP Bio is taught, even as we continued to make tremendous advances in 2-year and 4-year STEM education as well. My students and I have benefitted tremendously from this work, and I’m excited to give back by helping to lead NABT as we again address a pressing need for our organization and society at large – this time, supporting and celebrating the work of teaching on-level high school biology.
Being an active member of our organization has truly empowered me to provide engaging and rigorous biology education for my high school students, and it’s helped me stay energized and hopeful about our work. I hope you’ll support me in continuing to serve our community by electing me as your NABT president.
Director of Education and Outreach
Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard
Cambridge, MA
Member Since: 2011
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Additional Leadership Experience
Honors & Additional Activities
Personal Statement & Goals for NABT:
I became a biology teacher later in life, in 2009, after a long career in business. I had always had a passion for life sciences and biology. I started out as a biology major in college before switching to agriculture. Becoming a teacher was like finding a calling, to which I heartily responded.
As a new teacher, I was desperate for resources and support from other educators. I joined NABT right away. It was great to feel part of a larger organization, and I leveraged its resources as much as I could. I attended my first conference in 2017. I enjoy the conferences as a place to connect with new and old friends and share ideas about how to bring the world of biology to young people.
As OBTA Director, I was somewhat dismayed to learn how few Massachusetts biology teachers are NABT members. It seems that younger people and early service teachers do not recognize the benefits of participating in professional organizations. As President-elect, I would make it a priority to find ways to bring more teachers into our organization and to promote our craft to the public in general.
Former Professor
Nyack College
Bedford, NY
Member Since: 2006
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Additional Leadership Experience:
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Personal Statement:
I highly value service, which has played a significant role in helping me to overcome the challenges of being a minority in STEM. I firmly believe that action is more effective than words in promoting equity and diversity in STEM, and thus, I am committed to making a difference from within. It is also important to me to serve as a role model and voice for others like me who have struggled with the challenges of being a member of an underrepresented group, as we need to transform the STEM landscape to one that is more reflective of the general population. For more than a decade, I have been actively involved in initiatives aimed at transforming life science education at the institutional level as well as on a local and national scale. We need to prepare all students, regardless of major, to become informed citizens and to better understand the natural world around them.
As the current NABT Secretary/Treasurer, I value the opportunity to serve by using my affinity with numbers and analytical skills to benefit the organization, which has played a critical role in my development as an educator. I have always been fascinated with numbers so much that my undergraduate degree is in mathematics. NABT is uniquely positioned as a leader in transforming life science education, and I would be honored to be re-elected as Secretary/Treasurer.
Associate Professor
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Carbondale, IL
Member Since: 2006
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Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors and Additional Activities:
Personal Statement:
The NABT is an organization that is near and dear to my heart. At NABT, I have found a community of kindred spirits dedicated to transformative biology education for each new generation of students. I have held a number of board positions within the NABT Four-Year Section and have quite a bit of managerial experience at the four-year university level, as well. Furthermore, I have served in a number of volunteer positions in my community, including church collection counter, community orchestra member, civic orchestra parent group chair, and most recently, secretary for the Southern Illinois Chamber Music Society.
I have been a member of NABT for over 15 years and have been a very involved member of the four-year section of the organization. Currently, besides serving each year as a poster judge and peer-reviewer for research presentations, I am taking a leadership role in developing the Four-Year Section Policies and Procedures Manual. I feel a responsibility to step up and support the organization at the national level and believe my strong organizational skills and long-term service to the organization make me well-positioned to contribute positively to NABT as a Director-at-Large.
AP and Honors Biology Teacher
Brentwood High School
Brentwood, TN
NABT Member Since: 2013
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Additional Leadership Experience:
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Personal Statement:
I attended my first NABT conference in 2013 as a graduate student. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people that loved biology as much as I did and were so willing to share and collaborate. I attended with Dr. Kim Sadler, my thesis advisor, who is very connected in the organization. Sitting in the Four-Year Section Meeting, I immediately learned that the experience I was having was only possible due to many volunteers who used their limited, valuable time to help with NABT.
I started teaching at Brentwood High School and, despite lack of funding, have made it a priority to attend the annual conference for 9 out of the past 10 years. I have presented several workshops and posters and gotten to know an amazing group of “NABTers” that I look forward to seeing every year. I have learned a great deal in my recent leadership roles and experiences as Department Head and TNABT Secretary that would facilitate me in this position. I would love to be further involved in NABT, to ensure its longevity, to make sure every Biology teacher has a place in the organization, and to help promote the mission of empowering educators.
Life Science Instructor
Mahtomedi High School
Mahtomedi, MN
Member Since: 2010
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Additional Leadership Experience:
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Personal Statement:
My experiences at NABT have shaped and reinforced my practice as a teacher and have challenged me to grow as a person. The network I have created through NABT has ensured that I have continually adapted my practice and changed my perspective toward creating a more equitable and meaningful experience for my students.
My experiences as a Knowles Fellow, HHMI Academy Member, 3DMD Model Teacher, and work through BSCS have helped me create a network of teachers, resources, and access to decades worth of experience that I hope to utilize to engage and inspire current and future members of NABT. As a Regional Coordinator, I want to support these same experiences and opportunities for other educators by promoting NABT, identifying new and creative ways of engaging existing members and recruiting new members within the diverse communities within my region. To accomplish this, I will identify successful approaches and initiatives in other regions and seek support from current relationships within my region and from within the NABT community to increase the sphere of influence and impact that NABT has on life science education in our country.
Biology Instructor
Olathe Northwest High School
Olathe, KS
Member Since: 2016
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience
Honors & Additional Activities
Personal Statement:
NABT has a history of building community amongst biology educators and providing resources to support teachers at all levels. My professional experience is well-suited to contribute to the growth and long-term success of NABT. After identifying teachers who lacked the confidence and training to implement engineering design into their classrooms, I collaborated with a colleague to develop weeklong workshops on engineering in middle school science classrooms. These workshops provided teachers with strategies to define engineering problems and design solutions in authentic contexts. In 2020, I was the organizer for the Kansas Association of Biology Teachers fall conference with a theme of social justice and meeting diverse student needs. The virtual conference featured presentations on undesigning the redline in Kansas City, culturally responsive feedback, and gender-inclusive teaching.
I have served as the Kansas OBTA director for three years, during which time we have received at least five completed applications per cycle. I have built community in KABT through annual field trips and informal gatherings while serving in leadership positions. These experiences will allow me to fulfill the responsibilities of the NABT Region IV Coordinator as I seek to grow NABT membership and engagement and meet the needs of teachers and students.
Science Teacher
Carrboro High School
Carrboro, NC
Member Since: 2012
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Additional Leadership Experience:
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Personal Statement:
I am a veteran teacher committed not only to providing my students with a high level of instruction, but to also working with other teachers and educational organizations to raise the level of biology instruction across the country. Through NABT, I discovered a community of passionate, committed, and talented educators and scientists committed to benefitting its members, their students, and the community at-large. I learned just how important the NABT community is during my experiences in the AP Biology Leadership Academy. During the Academy, my focus on student-centered pedagogy, inquiry learning, and passion for teaching biology was rejuvenated and replenished. I attended my first NABT national conference with my cohort, and I have been an active member of the NABT family ever since.
As a part of the NABT community, I have made some of my best friends, found people I can rely on for professional expertise for both teaching and science content, and discovered a go-to circle of individuals who strive to constantly improve themselves and their practice.
As an HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador, I have presented at the NABT and NSTA conferences, as well as conducted workshops for school districts and community colleges. Through these outreach experiences, I am reminded of how important communities like NABT are to fostering and supporting science education. I look forward to extending the influence of NABT throughout Region V.
AIG and Advanced Learning Coordinator and Science Curriculum Specialist
Lee County Schools
Sanford, NC
Member Since: 2015
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Personal Statement:
I have nine years of biology education experience, including as a high school teacher, community college instructor, and district science director, and all three backgrounds have informed my work and provided me with the skills needed for the work of a Regional Coordinator. I have developed and provided professional development at the department level, the school level, and the district level, in addition to state and national conference presentations, and I would be interested in continuing this work for NABT and for the biology educators within Region V.
I am understanding of the talents and needs of both classroom teachers and curriculum specialists, and I can engage both types of biology education professionals in the work of NABT. I have formed a working relationship with the state science leadership in North Carolina through my work on the K-12 Science Standards writing team, and I would be willing to form similar relationships with the science education leadership of other states in this region. Through my work at the community college and with a new partnership between my district and Campbell University (our nearest 4-year college), I have experience beyond the K-12 sphere and can work with both K-12 biology educators and postsecondary biology educators as well.
AP Biology/ 8th Grade Science Teacher
Western Sierra Collegiate Academy
Rocklin, CA
Member Since: 2012
NABT Activities:
Additional Leadership Experience:
Honors & Additional Activities
Personal Statement:
Hi NABT! I am a teacher of teenagers and biology, an experienced Next Generation Science Standards advocate, a certified California Naturalist, and science teacher leader. I had the responsibility of serving as Region IX Coordinator early in my teaching career, and I look forward to showing my growth as a biologist, educator, and jump starter of joy in the teaching profession in a second opportunity to serve. As a Cohort I member of the BSCS/NABT AP Biology Leadership Academy, I feel that strengthening and growing the NABT biology teacher community is part of my teacher DNA.
As an NABT BELS recipient, I earned my master’s degree in biology through Project Dragonfly’s Global Field Program. My studies focused on environmental justice, cynipid gall wasps and blue oaks, and engaging teens in community-based conservation practices as a poultice for mitigating complex trauma. I am dedicated to empowering educators to increase equity and excitement in biology learning. I have 15 years of secondary biology teaching experience, including marine, freshman biology, AP Biology, and 8th grade integrated science. I have served on multiple state and local NGSS-rollout committees since 2012 and have led my district as science coordinator. I currently serve as an AP Biology teacher and department chair at Western Sierra Collegiate Academy in Rocklin, California where I design high-quality, targeted teacher development programs and facilitate the growth of effective institutional collaborations.
As your Region IX Coordinator, I hope to serve biology teachers to build on the work that I presented at the 2022 NABT Conference: “Refresh your Biology Relationship: How to bring the love (back) to your classroom.” I believe that teachers have the potential to connect disparate groups of society one classroom at a time by modeling in microcosm the kind of world we want to create. I would be honored to serve as your Region IX Coordinator and look forward to building a better NABT with you. What questions do you have? I can’t wait to listen.
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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