Dr. Li Ke is an exceptional early career scholar whose innovative research has significantly shaped the field’s understanding of scientific modeling and related practices, making him highly deserving of the 2026 NARST Early Career Research Award. From his graduate work at Michigan State University through his postdoctoral position at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Ke has advanced knowledge about how teachers and learners engage in modeling and how these epistemic practices support learning. His scholarship expanded further at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he now integrates modeling, socioscientific issues such as climate change and pandemics, and justice-oriented approaches that center learner agency and critical consciousness. Across publications, presentations, and grant work, Dr. Ke has consistently produced exemplary contributions that influence teacher practice, teacher education, and the design of instructional materials, demonstrating a level of impact rare even among established scholars.