The Equity and Ethics (E&E) Committee is excited to update you on some of the highlights from the NARST 2017 Annual International Conference. First, we want to thank four members who completed their service as members of the E&E Committee—Miri Barak, Rhea Miles, Enrique Lopez, and Francesca White. We appreciate these outgoing members’ three year of service. Next, we would like to welcome our new committee members—Lilliann Degand, Catherine Quinlan, Sara Raven, and Irasema Ortega. Femi Otulaja will serve as Board Liaison for our committee. This is a new role as the Executive Board transitions to a governing board.

At the 2017 Annual International Conference, the E&E Committee offered three academic activities, one social activity, and an action project. We thank all of the participants, supporters, and organizers for the success of those activities.

Pre-Conference Workshop

The primary goal of the E&E Pre-Conference Workshop is to promote the development of junior scholars from underrepresented groups and to help these new scholars become productive and active members within the science education community. The theme corresponds to the theme of the NARST conference. This year’s theme was Glocalization and Sustainability of Science Education Research and Practice. Fifty participants engaged in constructive and meaningful dialogue with leading science education scholars about the influences of glocalization on educators’, researchers’, and policymakers’ efforts to build and sustain scientific literacy within local contexts for a global citizenry.

E&E Committee Sponsored Session

Extending that of the 2016 conference and reflecting this year’s conference theme, the theme for the 2017 sponsored symposium was Addressing the Challenges of Science Teaching and Learning in a Glocal Context: Informing Practices in Equity and Ethics. The symposium aimed at eliciting equity and justice issues around the world. Panelists from Nigeria, Israel, South Korea and the U.S. brought challenges facing us globally and locally in the area of equity and ethics. In response to last year’s feedback on the session, this year the session included interactive activities in which participants shared their ideas about the issues and solutions in small and large groups.

New Scholars Symposium

This annual symposium highlighted our 2016 Basu Scholars in an interactive poster session titled Equity and Excellence in Science Education. Ten of the 14 2016 scholars presented their work in the session.

We have selected 15 2017 Basu scholars out of 39 applicants. Congratulations to:

• Devasmita Chakraverty (University of Virginia)
• Tina Cheuk (Stanford University)
• Heidi Cian (Clemson University)
• Remy Dou (Florida International University)
• Sophia Jeong (University of Georgia)
• Consuelo Morales (University of Michigan)
• Eunjoeng Kim (University of Georgia)
• Natalie King (Georgia State University)
• Felicia Leammukda (University of Minnesota)
• Tara Nkrumah (University of South Florida)
• Christina Restrepo Nazar (Michigan State University)
• Rona Robinson-Hill (Ball State University)
• Tenzin Sonam (The University of Arizona)
• David Steele (University of Georgia)
• Francesca White (Indiana University Bloomington)

These scholars will be invited to attend the Pre-Conference Workshop and present their work in the New Scholars Symposium at the 2018 NARST Annual International Conference.

Equity Dinner

The E&E Committee held the19th annual Equity Dinner at Fogo de Chão, San Antonio. Members were able to register for this year’s Equity Dinner when pre-registering for the conference. All 80 of the allotted pre-registration tickets were sold. During the dinner, the participants shared their personal and professional news including first paper publications, promotions, new babies, etc.

Social Action Project

On behalf of the K-6 teachers and students at Bonham Academy and Kindred Elementary schools, thank you to all NARST members who donated books and resources to our adopted schools in the San Antonio area. The E&E Social Action Project was established three years ago in support of schools with limited funding and resources for teaching science. We hope this annual project will encourage more NARST member participation and support of science education in cities that host the conference.