As a non-profit organization designed to promote and sustain excellence in science education research, NARST has maintained a tradition of self-governance. As an association, our identity is deeply connected to our capacity to communicate who we are and what we do. As a result, those charged with the responsibility of leading NARST become vitally important to helping the organization meet and define its goals.

Given this challenge, the selection of NARST leaders becomes a vital component of the organization’s progress. Who leads NARST? The answer is a simple and resounding; you! Every year the Membership and Elections committee has the responsibility of seeking and selecting NARST’s new leadership. As a committee, we welcome all NARST members to nominate themselves and their colleagues to positions of leadership. Our goal is to identify dynamic leaders who represent intellectual, cultural, academic, and ideological diversity that makes NARST such a unique organization.  Please look for the upcoming NARST call for nominations and nominate yourself or NARST colleagues you consider well-suited to lead NARST in the future.

Special Bylaws Change Election

Please note a special election will occur during 2014. The NARST Board voted to approve a potential change in the Bylaws of the organization. This Bylaw change would allow for the Graduate Student Representative to serve on the board with full voting rights.  For this change to be approved, we need a majority of the membership of NARST to vote in favor of the change in this special election. Given our growing membership of nearly 1,700 we need more than 850 NARST voters for the change to be approved.

The membership and elections committee invites and urges you to participate in this upcoming election. E-mail your colleagues, students, and friends to encourage them to vote when the special election is announced.

In closing, the Membership and Elections Committee invites each of you to lead in a number of ways. First, if there are issues or concerns that you have about NARST please do not hesitate to e-mail our committee co-chairs Bryan Brown (brbrown@stanford.edu) or Pauline Chinn (chinn@hawaii.edu) to engage in discourse about ways we can improve NARST. Second, we invite you all to take leadership positions: sign up to work as a reviewer or strand coordinator, or run for an elected position. Third, we urge you all to participate in voting this year. If we are to improve the organization, we need the input and participation of all of our constituencies.

We truly encourage you to join in improving the quality of our organization.

With our very best wishes for the new year!

MEMBERSHIP AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE    

Bryan A. Brown (co-chair)                       Stanford University

Pauline Chinn (co-chair)                          University of Hawaii at Manoa

Sharon Lynch                                           George Washington University

Eileen R. Carlton Parsons                        The University of North Carolina

Yehudit Judy Dori                                     Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Mike Smith                                                Mercer University

Takumi Sato                                              Michigan State University

Dale Baker                                                Arizona State University

Christopher Wright                                    University of Tennessee

Sonya Martin                                             Seoul National University

Toni Sondergeld                                        Bowling Green State University

Catherine Hoehler                                     Southern Connecticut State University

Jodi Devonshire                                         University of Missouri, St. Louis

Marcelle Siegel                                          University of Missouri