BSCS Executive Director Named a Fellow of the International Society of the Learning Sciences

Colorado Springs, CO — BSCS’s Executive Director, Daniel Edelson, has been elected a  Fellow of the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS). 

The ISLS Fellows program recognizes “a record of distinguished and sustained contributions to the learning sciences, exceptional research-driven innovations, and continuous mentorship in shaping how the world understands and improves real-world learning.” As a Fellow, Dr. Edelson joins an elite group of highly accomplished international scholars. 

“I am honored to be recognized by the ISLS community,” said Dr. Edelson. “I had the good fortune to attend the first International Conference on the Learning Sciences as a graduate student in 1991, I served on the founding board of ISLS in 2002, and the Learning Sciences continues to be my intellectual home. The interdisciplinary approaches and the open, expansive perspectives that characterize the Learning Sciences have guided my work throughout my career.”

Dr. Edelson’s recognition honors over three decades of trailblazing work across curriculum design, educational technology, and advocacy. At BSCS, he has led a decade of rapid growth in the organization’s instructional materials, professional learning, and research efforts. He has directly overseen the creation of two research-based, comprehensive science programs at BSCS—the OpenSciEd Middle School Science Program (2022) and BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life (2022). Earlier in his career, he led the research-driven development of Investigations in Environmental Science (2005), a one-year high school environmental science course, and three data-visualization and analysis programs for education, FieldScope (2024), My World GIS (2005), and WorldWatcher (2005). 

Before taking the helm at BSCS in 2015, he served as the Vice President for Education at the National Geographic Society (2007-2015) and spent 14 years as a faculty member in Northwestern University’s pioneering Learning Sciences Program and Computer Science Department (1993-2007). As a researcher, Dr. Edelson has published numerous research papers on instructional materials design, educational technology, motivation, and teacher professional development. As an advocate for educational reform, he has written extensively on the importance of geoscience, geography, and environmental science education.

The formal induction of the 2026 cohort took place on June 16 at the ISLS Annual Meeting in Irvine, California. As an ISLS Fellow, Dr. Edelson will serve in leadership and advisory roles to support the international society.

“We are so proud to see his dedication to innovative, meaningful, equity-forward science education recognized on the global stage”, said Jill Prather, chair of the BSCS Board of Directors.

This April, BSCS Science Learning will be presenting at three leading national conferences on the West Coast: AERA, NSTA, and NARST. Across these events, BSCS staff will share research, insights, and practical approaches that advance high-quality science teaching and learning. We invite you to explore our conference sessions and learn more about how BSCS is contributing to conversations that bridge research, policy, and classroom practice.

Here’s to a five-year partnership with Rivet Education!

BSCS Science Learning has been re-certified as a provider in Rivet Education’s Professional Learning Partner Guide (PLPG). The Professional Learning Partner Guide identifies professional learning organizations that meet Rivet’s quality criteria for delivering curriculum-based professional learning that supports strong implementation of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). Certification signals BSCS has passed three rigorous review gateways: Content + HQIM Expertise, Quality of Professional Learning Design, and Using Data to Plan and Improve. Certified providers are uniquely positioned to support effective use of HQIM by teachers and/or leaders.

Since 2020, the PLPG has helped state and district leaders identify expert partners who provide high-quality, curriculum-based professional learning. In just five years, the PLPG has grown into a trusted, nationally recognized tool that reflects a shared commitment to improving teaching and learning. Five Years of Smarter Partnerships The PLPG review process helps us think more critically about what teachers and leaders need in different phases of curriculum adoption and implementation, and it helps us ensure that we are messaging that clearly in our trainings.

BSCS joined the PLPG in 2020 with a vision: to raise the bar for professional learning. Five years later, we’re still honored to be part of this movement—helping districts support teachers in ways that truly improve student learning.

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Universities, hospitals, and industry must become willing to build their capacities in ways that complement capacities that have long existed within our tribal communities. 

– Mallery Quetawki 

Dear friends, 

BSCS Science Learning has a long tradition of celebrating Charles Darwin’s birthday. In recent years, we’ve used this occasion to share stories of inspiring scientists from around the world who are making meaningful contributions to science today. This year, we are featuring an artist and scientist whose innovative work bridges Indigenous knowledge and Western science: Mallery Quetawki, a member of the Pueblo of Zuni in western New Mexico.  

Mallery grew up surrounded by the rich artistic traditions of the Zuni community, including pottery, weaving, and handicraft making passed down through generations. She also witnessed health disparities in her community and a deep-seated fear of hospitals among tribal members. This concern sparked her interest in science and set her on an unexpected path.  

In 2007, after working as an intern at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Mallery created a series of chalk pastel drawings featuring the heart, brain, and other parts of human anatomy. When these drawings were later displayed at the Zuni Indian Health Services Hospital, something remarkable happened. 

“The art created a wave of people asking about their personal health,” said Quetawki, who worked at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque at the time. “I realized, ‘Holy smokes, this is an educational tool!'” 

Today, Mallery holds a B.S. in biology with a minor in art studio from the University of New Mexico and serves as a Communication and Outreach Specialist and the Artist-in-Residence at the Community Environmental Health Program at UNM’s College of Pharmacy. She creates work that weaves traditional Zuni symbolism and other recognizably native designs with scientific concepts in ways that resonate both scientifically and spiritually with Native communities. 

Her painting DNA Repair illustrates this beautifully. She compares the intricate process of DNA repair to the creation of beaded items in Native American culture, with a flower design symbolizing regrowth. Her influence extends far beyond her local community. Her artwork has been featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and in a traveling exhibition called Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology. The National Institutes of Health has featured her work, and she has received grants to train more artists and storytellers to share health information with Indigenous communities. 

“Universities, hospitals, and industry must become willing to build their capacities in ways that complement capacities that have long existed within our tribal communities,” she emphasizes. 

We’ve been fortunate to feature Mallery’s work at BSCS. When developing a unit for the OpenSciEd elementary school science program, we sought out notable examples of scientific communication and found Mallery. We featured her in Meet the Expert: Mallery Quetawki, a book that shows how she creates paintings and drawings to communicate scientific ideas. Students read the book during a unit in which their task is to communicate ways that people can protect plants and animals in their community. 

On this Darwin Day, we celebrate Mallery Quetawki, an artist, scientist, educator, and bridge-builder who demonstrates that diverse ways of knowing can work together to create more effective, inclusive, and culturally responsive science communication. Her work reminds us that scientific understanding is enriched when we include other perspectives and knowledge systems. 

Sincerely, 

Daniel C. Edelson  
Executive Director 

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References: 

[1] “About the Artist: Mallery Quetawki,” Diabetes Care, vol. 46, no. 12, December 2023.  
[2] “Mallery Quetawki – Using Art to Improve Environmental Health Literacy Among Indigenous Tribes,” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.  
[3] “Mallery Quetawki,” Institute of American Indian Arts, September 2021.  
[4] “Features,” SRP Science Digest, December 2020, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
[5] “Mallery Quetawki: Circulatory Systems + Translational Aesthetics,” Southwest Contemporary, September 2024.  
[6] “Mallery Quetawki,” Western Exhibitions of American Indian Art.  

Artwork in sidebar: DNA-All My Relations by Mallery Quetawki

It’s not uncommon for me to only have five girls in a class of 20 students. When they start the unit in fourth grade, they keep to themselves because they’re in the minority. But as we get outside and start sharing observations and making connections, I see things start to shift.

– Lucia Brea

Dear friends,

Lucia Brea, an elementary school teacher in New York, believes every child deserves access to amazing science. This includes kids who are learning English as a new language. And it includes girls who have been conditioned to avoid STEM. Lucia understands both of these experiences on a deeply personal level, as she moved from the Dominican Republic to the United States when she was nine years old.

Today, she strives to be the teacher she once needed. That’s why she’s using Why is the Land Changing? a customizable earth science unit from BSCS. Developed as part of a research project on place-based learning, this unit encourages teachers to incorporate local phenomena into their lessons and provides them with guidance on how to do that.

Lucia’s elementary students come from many different countries. They are native Spanish, French, Portuguese, and even Indigenous language speakers who still struggle to communicate in English. She’s noticed how much they open up and connect through outdoor experiences. That’s why Lucia wanted to try the unit. It begins with a simple question: What’s your favorite outside place? As she’d hoped, this question engages her students and allows her to learn more about them. It also provides an entry point to the exploration of weathering and erosion.

“Last year, a student mentioned a park I’d never heard of. He kept talking about big rocks. So, we took a walking trip and noticed things along the way,” Lucia says. Students looked at a huge hole in a basketball court and wondered how it got there. Then at the park, the students found the “big rocks” and speculated about how they got there. Lucia reports that their conversations were amazing.

As Lucia guided her students through the unit, which focuses on a rockfall in Yosemite Valley and a flash flood in Glen Canyon, Utah, students were able to make connections to the holes and the boulders they’d seen on their field trip. Lucia explains, “Yosemite is far away from New York. So, at face value, it’s not relevant to my students, but because this unit gives us the freedom to integrate local phenomena and places, my students get to discover their own way to make the science surrounding Yosemite relevant and interesting to them. It’s really cool to see.”

The design of the unit combines the power of direct, personal experience with the excitement of remarkable, extraordinary phenomena that they may never personally experience. Previously, students might not have seen anything interesting about the boulders in the park, but customizing curriculum to connect to the local context enables students to see that puzzling, natural phenomena are all around them. While Yosemite is remarkable and remote, Lucia’s students have the opportunity to see that the same geologic processes are happening in their community.

For some students, these connections are profound. One of Lucia’s students remembers how his house fell apart in a flood when he lived in Guatemala. He’s starting to understand how that happened as he constructs a scientific explanation of the changes brought about by the Glen Canyon flood.

Girls are engaging in new ways, too. “It’s not uncommon for me to only have five girls in a class of 20 students. When they start the unit in fourth grade, they keep to themselves because they’re in the minority. But as we get outside and start sharing observations and making connections, I see things start to shift.”

Take Natalia, for instance. When the class walked to the park for the first time, Natalia noticed all the holes in the ground. That’s probably because she was always looking down. Fast forward to fifth grade, when the class combines science with a civics project. The students create and study a pollinator garden and then share their findings at the Green Fair. All the girls are actively participating in this work, and Natalia is confidently leading the charge.

“It’s really fun to see this shift between fourth and fifth grade. The big switch occurs because everyone is given space to share what they notice and think. Everyone is on a level playing field, which isn’t the experience most girls have outside of school. Now they’re saying, ‘I can totally see myself doing this’ or ‘I didn’t know I liked science, but I do.’”

Lucia has been reflecting on her own childhood experiences lately. Her brother is an engineer. She recently told him, “If I had felt more empowered growing up, maybe I would be an engineer too.” However, her impact is evident in the classroom. Her students have a teacher who is inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, innovators, and lifelong learners. At BSCS, we are excited to play a role in her story and in the stories of her students.

Your support makes this work possible. By investing in BSCS, you are helping us equip teachers like Lucia with the tools to reach every student. You are ensuring that all students have the opportunity to see themselves as scientists.

With gratitude,

Daniel C. Edelson
BSCS Executive Director

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BSCS developed the unit, Why is the Land Changing? as part of a collaborative project with the Maine Mathematics Science Alliance. Learn more about the work.

This work was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, grant #2009613. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

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Dear friends,

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Anne Westbrook, who was a cherished colleague and gifted science educator. Anne worked with us from March 1999 until October 2023, dedicating more than two decades to advancing scientific understanding and nurturing the next generation of educators and learners. She passed away on March 27, 2025, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire all who knew her.

A Lifelong Commitment to Science and Education
Anne’s academic journey began at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she earned her BA in Ecological Evolution & Organismal Biology. She went on to complete her MS in Biology at Purdue University, Indianapolis, and her PhD in Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her early career included postdoctoral research at both UNC and the University of Utah, as well as curriculum development and teaching for the Partnership for Minority Advancement in the Biomolecular Sciences. Anne was passionate about making science accessible and meaningful for all.

Anne began her work at BSCS when we were collaborating with NIH and its various institutes to develop the Curriculum Supplements for K-12. Later in her career at BSCS Anne was project lead on modules funded through NIH’s Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program. Anne loved gathering with colleagues from across the country to engage in collaborative work, where she championed evidence-based practices and equity in science education while having the chance to dive deeply into science with experts. Sometimes the roles were reversed, and she served on organizing committees for science education summits, reviewed grants for the NIH and NSF, and was in the advisory role on others’ projects. Her collaborative spirit and expertise made her a valued member of every team she joined.

Anne was a lead developer on numerous curriculum materials, including the widely respected The Biology Teacher’s Handbook (4th edition), authoring several foundational chapters on inquiry and collaborative learning. She led or contributed to the development of many curriculum materials, including:

• Allergies and Scientific Inquiry
• Evolution and Medicine
• Rare Diseases and Scientific Inquiry
• The Science of Mental Illness
• The Science of Energy Balance (5th grade revision)
• The Commons: An Environmental Dilemma
• Drug Abuse, Addiction, and the Adolescent Brain
• Evolution and the Environment: Activities for the Classroom
• Tell Me about AIDS: A Curriculum for K–6 Classrooms
• BSCS Biology: An Ecological Approach (10th edition)

Her curriculum work has reached countless educators and students, fostering inquiry, critical thinking, and scientific literacy.

Anne co-authored research on the effects of student-teacher-scientist partnerships, exploring how these collaborations enhance high school students’ achievement and attitudes toward science. Her work was presented at leading conferences such as the American Educational Research Association and published in technical reports and peer-reviewed journals. Anne also played a central role in articulating the origins and effectiveness of the BSCS 5E instructional model. During the last few years of her tenure at BSCS, Anne played a pivotal role in leading innovative programs that bridged the worlds of teachers, scientists, and students. Her leadership on projects such as PlantingScience: Digging Deeper Together – A Model for Collaborative Teacher/Scientist Professional Development, Developing Skills in Health Literacy, and PlantingScience F2: The Next Generation of Teacher/Scientist Collaborative Professional Development exemplified her commitment to fostering collaboration across disciplines.

Anne was renowned not only for her professional achievements but for her kindness, generosity, and mentorship. She approached every project with empathy and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Her colleagues remember her as a patient listener, a thoughtful collaborator, and a steadfast friend. Outside of work, Anne’s creativity shone through her beautiful pottery, reflecting the same care and attention she brought to her professional life.

Honoring Anne’s Memory
Anne’s impact on science education is immeasurable. Through her work, she empowered teachers, inspired students, and built lasting partnerships between educators and scientists. Her legacy lives on in the programs she helped create, the materials she developed, and the many lives she touched.

We will remember Anne not only for her remarkable contributions to our field but also for the kindness and humanity she brought to her work every day. She will be deeply missed, but her influence will continue to guide and inspire us.

With heartfelt gratitude and remembrance,
Her colleagues and friends at BSCS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 16, 2025 – A research team at BSCS Science Learning is set to make waves at the U.S. National Science Foundation’s 75th Anniversary “NSF STEM Day” celebration. Dr. Sherry Hsi and her team received supplemental funding for conducting public science education and outreach inspired by their NSF-funded Making Waves with Radio project.

NSF STEM Day, held on May 10, 2025, will bring together museums, planetariums, libraries, community organizations, parks, and universities across the country to share important innovations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). BSCS educators and its museum partners will engage with science enthusiasts of all ages at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California.

“Our NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning project has been developing materials to raise greater awareness and understanding about the science of radio signals and radio-enabled technologies that are essential to innovations in modern communication and our everyday lives. We are excited to be a part of this national celebration,” said Hsi, BSCS Principal Scientist. “Over the past 75 years, the NSF has made critical investments in innovative research and development to improve how people learn science and engineering. With NSF’s support, this event will allow us to amplify our science education impact to the greater Los Angeles area.”

The Making Waves with Radio project provides a suite of museum activities, apps, youth camp curricula, and mobile professional learning resources for educators who work with youth, families, and public audiences. During NSF STEM Day, families will have the chance to fully immerse themselves with hands-on science activities, demonstrations, crafts, and games that together explore the science of radio signals and radio-enabled technologies, from drones and Wi-Fi detectors to a visual timeline of key radio technology inventions.

“In space and on Earth, we are all explorers of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio helps us see things we can’t see with normal telescopes and they also help us keep in contact with our vital missions discovering new things about our solar system and beyond.” said Ben Dickow, Executive Director of the Columbia Memorial Space Center.

Those who wish to continue engaging with the project materials can access them free online at radioeverywhere.org following the NSF STEM Day festivities.

“The National Science Foundation is integral to BSCS’s storied history,” said Dr. Daniel Edelson, BSCS Executive Director. “Our organization began in 1958 as a line item in NSF’s budget. Over the last 65 years, we have not only supported science education of teachers and students in classrooms, but expanded tremendously across settings and we now operate as an independent non-profit organization. Still, we continue to rely on NSF funding to advance our research-driven innovation. NSF’s 75th Anniversary is a celebration we’re honored to join.”

For more information about the Making Waves with Radio project or NSF STEM Day event, contact Sherry Hsi.

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I’ve opened a lot of doors because I was curious about what was on the other side of them. My own career has been an experiment.

– Dr. Juan Pablo Carvallo

Dear friends,

Each year on Charles Darwin’s birthday, BSCS Science Learning celebrates his significant contributions to science. This year, we are marking the occasion by featuring another scientist you should know: Dr. Juan Pablo “JP” Carvallo. JP’s research on energy and electricity is currently making an impact everywhere from policy decisions to high school physics classrooms—and he’s become a valued friend and advisor to our curriculum development team at BSCS. 

Originally from Chile, JP began his career helping a mining company determine how to make better use of their power. Motivated by a lifelong “curiosity to open doors and see what’s on the other side,” he moved to the University of California, Berkeley, to pursue an advanced degree. That three-year trip turned into a 15-year adventure. And today, he’s a Research Scientist in the Energy Markets and Policy Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

In this role, he identifies big problems and produces insights to support decision makers with policy changes. JP hopes to “spur change” where it’s needed. That’s exactly what drew him to study the Texas power crisis in February 2021. One week after the widespread power outages, his team began collecting data. Who was affected by the outages? Was there a reason why the outages largely affected minority populations? JP’s team expedited a research report that he hoped would reach and support local decision-makers. Little did he know that the report would reach much further. 

Around this time, BSCS Science Educators Zoë Buck Bracey and Diego Rojas-Perilla were leading a team in the development of a high school physics unit focused on the Texas power crisis. They found JP’s report and sought his help to answer questions students raised in pilot testing.

In collaboration with JP, the BSCS team produced a unit in which students learn about, prioritize, and test solutions to meet their communities’ energy needs. The unit has received rave reviews from high school students and teachers across the country. 

JP shared a review of his own: “The BSCS team was like a super-motivated and diverse set of superheroes working to improve K-12 education into something that I would have welcomed as a kid.” The feeling is mutual. JP’s contributions enabled us to make this unit compelling and relevant to students. We are inspired by his research, and we believe in his vision to spur change. After all, his work is already changing the way thousands of high school students think about energy in their communities.  

On this Darwin Day, I am thankful for JP and all the other scientists and educators who are helping us prepare young people for the world they will inherit.

Sincerely,

Daniel C. Edelson
BSCS Executive Director

Check out our digital 2023 Annual Report!

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