Professional Bio

I am the Director of the Board on Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council where I oversee studies that address a wide range of issues related to science education and where I help coordinate science education work within the Academies. The Board on Science Education recently (2009) published a consensus study entitled Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places and Pursuits, which summarizes findings from more than 1,200 publications and reports on informal science learning. I am also a research fellow at the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) where I direct ongoing research studies on science learning in immersive environments; models of involving researchers and scientists in science museums and science centers; and understanding the impact of science hobbyists, such as amateur astronomers, on the public understanding of science. I previously served as Director of Project Development and as senior researcher at ILI. The Institute for Learning Innovation is located close to the Chesapeake Bay in Edgewater, Maryland. My work as educational researcher and evaluator in free-choice, informal, elective contexts/environments/settings (please choose your preferred wording) was quite diverse, and ranged from environment, nature and conservation to astronomy and current science. My areas of interest include factors that influence what and how we learn when we do so voluntarily in our spare time, including aspects of identity and belief; the role of volunteerism, serious leisure, and citizen science in a lifelong learning society; and how schools and out-of-school learning can be mutually enhancing. I am currently conducting research studies in collaboration with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in San Francisco; the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, CA; and the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA. I started my career in the informal/free-choice science education arena as an educator at a planetarium in Germany, where I wrote, directed, produced and presented shows on global warming and solar power in the mid-1990s (yes, indeed, the mid-90s!). While doing that I also served as editor, host, and producer for a weekly environmental news radio broadcast. Before that I worked as an environmental management and policy analyst for an international non-profit that specializes on local environmental issues. My Ph.D. is in Education, but I also hold a Masters in Public Administration and a Masters in Biology.

Expertise & Interest Descriptors

Public Understanding of Science and Environmental Issues Understanding and Measuring Attitude, Belief, Knowledge, Awareness or Understanding, particularly with respect to informal or free-choice learning The role of personal or individual characteristics in a lifelong learning process (i.e., why are people paying attention to what and what do they get out of that?) How to communicate complex ideas when you have little time

Planned Conference Participation