Dr. K. “Ren” Rende Mendoza was selected to receive the NARST 2024 Outstanding Doctoral Research Award (ODRA) for their dissertation titled “We Can Update our Own Stories: Trans*-Informed Principles for LGBTQ-Inclusive Science Teaching.”

This honor recognizes that Dr. Rende Mendoza’s dissertation was judged by their NARST colleagues on the ODRA Selection Subcommittee to have the greatest merit and significance in the field of Science Education from among all dissertations nominated for the award this year. Dr. Rende Mendoza completed their dissertation at North Carolina State University on June 23, 2022, under the direction of Dr. Carla Johnson of North Carolina State University.

Although LGBTQ-inclusive science education reform has been gaining traction, gender-marginalized groups including transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals continue to be underrepresented in these movements. To address this need, Dr. Rende Mendoza explored the gender-inclusive teaching practices of 10 trans* science teachers with the purpose of learning from their experiences to create a trans*-inclusive science curriculum. More specifically, Dr. Rende Mendoza used qualitative methodology to analyze interviews, samples of instructional materials, and reflective teaching statements to identify a trans*-informed science education pedagogy composed of three teaching practices including interrogating and accessing power, resisting essentialism, and embracing experiential knowledge and personal epistemologies. Although LGBTQ-inclusive science education reform has been gaining traction, gender-marginalized groups including transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals continue to be underrepresented in these movements.