Past Virtual Events - 2026

Past Virtual Events - 2026

Event Year: 202620252024202320222021

2026

2026 Webinars

The Web of Intersectionality: A reflective tool for exploring identity - Part One

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October 23 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET (2 hrs)

This two-part virtual workshop explores identity formation, intersectionality, and the impacts of structural power on research and practice through creative expression. Participants will move from abstract theory into something more tangible. Through physical crafting and collaborative inquiry, participants will investigate how privileged and marginalized identities manifest in their practice as a researcher or educator.

Attendees will be guided through four phases across the two sessions: contextualizing intersectional frameworks, grounding identity through hands-on creative expression, navigating critical interruptions, and synthesizing practical applications. By the end of the two-part workshop, attendees will be able to: (1) deconstruct traditional identity models by weaving a multi-dimensional identity web; (2) analyze how shifting environments or policies alter identity relationships over time; (3) evaluate dimensions of privilege and marginalization in daily professional practice; and (4) adapt the framework to facilitate critical identity dialogues at their home institutions.

Meet Your Speakers:
Alisa H. Chung, Purdue University
Kaley Mumma, Purdue University
Catlin M. Goodwin, University of Arkansas
Tiffany A. Marzolino, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Award Talk: The Evolution of a Socio-Scientific Issues Research Agenda: Evidence for Teaching and Learning Science with Complex Societal Issues

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October 22 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Education ought to help prepare students for reasoning about complex problems, exploring the intersections of their own values with scientific ideas and principles, and considering evidence from science as they make decisions. Socio-scientific issues (SSI) based teaching is an approach to science education aligned with this progressive set of goals. For the past 25 years, my colleagues and I have explored how students think about SSI, how to teach with SSI, and how to improve SSI teaching and learning. This presentation traces some of the insights gained through these research efforts. Findings from this work include student reasoning patterns when confronted with ethically challenging SSI, how teachers approach SSI education, what students can learn through SSI-based experiences, and how students can engage in science practices as they explore SSI. Implications and applications from this body of research include frameworks for 1) SSI teaching, 2) development of curriculum for SSI learning, and 3) conceptualizing and assessing the reasoning skills, that students can develop through SSI learning experiences, and apply as they confront issues beyond school. The presentation describes the evolution of an SSI research agenda with an eye toward where science education research can go in the future.

Meet Your Speaker:
Troy Sadler, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What Should RAISE Be? An Open Check-In on AI Research in Science Education

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October 21 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

RAISE members told us in a survey what they value about the RIG, what they expect from it, and what they want it to achieve. This virtual event shares those results and hands the floor to the room. Everyone is welcome - members, prospective members, and anyone simply interested in research on AI in science education. We will discuss which activities deserve the RIG's attention and which gaps it should fill, and close by identifying a small set of priorities to pursue before the annual meeting. We open with a short presentation of the survey results where responses converge, and, more interestingly, where they pull apart. The bulk of the session then belongs to the room. In facilitated small-group discussion we will work through a few concrete questions: Which activities are worth the RIG's limited volunteer capacity? What do doctoral students and early-career researchers need that the RIG is not currently providing? Where does RAISE duplicate what NARST already offers, and where does it fill a genuine gap? Newcomers often see those gaps most clearly, so we are as interested in what brought you to the session as in what keeps existing members here.

Hosted by: NARST RAISE RIG

Pláticas: Knowledge construction through conversations to disrupt hegemonic practices in qualitative science education research

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October 19 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET

The Pláticas methodology arises from critical theories as a way to challenge hegemonic practices in qualitative research. To disrupt the extractive and inequitable power dynamic of research, the participant is positioned as a co-constructor of knowledge, creating awareness of the importance of their contributions to advancing the field of education. Pláticas, as its name implies, is a series of conversations in which participants are invited to contribute to answering research questions through story sharing and building bonds with other project contributors. Pláticas is an important methodology that centers participant contributions through a redistribution of power and affords often silenced voices and stories a space to be heard.

This session is designed to explore the Pláticas methodology, which centers Latinx participants using culturally relevant practices that are holistic and reflexive. The speakers will share examples from their research with undergraduate students to illustrate how Pláticas has been used across different research contexts. Katherine will share how she developed Pláticas in her doctoral research with undergraduate pre-med students and later adapted the methodology within an NSF-funded mixed-methods project. Maraliz will share how she is using Pláticas in her doctoral research with community college students, focusing on data collection. Together, their experiences will highlight how methodological tools can evolve in response to different research questions, participants, and contexts.

The audience is invited to join the presenters in recognizing the value in challenging traditional power dynamics in the researcher-participant roles. Disrupting the perceived objectivity of normative qualitative research methodologies can be beneficial to a growing number of students and researchers in science education.

Meet Your Speakers:
Katherine Arias Gracia, University of California San Diego School of Medicine
Maraliz Fischler-Barraza, University of California San Diego and San Diego State University

Hosted by: Contemporary Methods for Science Education Research RIG

Welcome To NARST

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October 16, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET

The Graduate Student Committee invites you to the "Welcome to NARST" session, an orientation designed to introduce incoming graduate students and newly joined members to the resources, communities, and opportunities available through NARST.

This session is designed to clarify membership benefits, committee structures, and practical pathways for engagement within the NARST community. During the session, committee leaders will outline opportunities including awards and scholarships, the Graduate Student Forum, the Graduate Student Research Symposium, and regular networking and communications initiatives. The committee will propose conference sessions to attend, provide concrete guidance on how to get involved, how to submit and present research, and where to find mentoring and community support. The event concludes with a live Q&A.

Hosted by the Graduate Student Committee

Inquiring into the School: Case Studies on Place-Based Education

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October 13, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET

This session examines how the school itself can become a primary subject and dynamic field of scientific inquiry, rather than merely a physical venue for lessons. Drawing on five qualitative case studies of place-based education (PBE) in school science contexts, the presenter will demonstrate how investigating students' immediate living environments deepens their engagement with science and reshapes their understanding of school space.

The session introduces five case narratives constructed from students' essays and interview transcripts, followed by research conclusions and a discussion derived from a cross-case analysis.

To accommodate international participants, the session is structured asynchronously: it includes a 30-minute pre-recorded presentation (PPT with English narration) and an interactive online Q&A forum via Padlet, which will remain open throughout the event period.

Meet Your Speakers:
Solhee Lee, Seryun middle school 
Miyoun Lim, Ewha Womans University

Research Beyond Academia: Perspectives from Education Researchers Across Sectors

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October 12, 2026
 

This session will feature a panel of education researchers who have built careers outside traditional tenure-track faculty positions while remaining actively engaged in research, scholarship, and knowledge sharing. As interest in research careers beyond academia continues to grow, panelists from a variety of professional contexts will share their career journeys and discuss how they continue to conduct, lead, and disseminate research in their current roles.

Through this conversation, attendees will gain insight into diverse professional pathways, learn about opportunities and challenges associated with research careers across sectors, and connect with a growing community of NARST members interested in expanding the visibility, impact, and possibilities of education research beyond the tenure-track pathway.

Hosted by the EXPAND RIG

Queer and Transgender Science Education Colloquium: Queer, Quare, and Transgender Theories in Education

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Friday October 2, 2026

Queer and Transgender Science Education (QTSE) colloquium is a year-long virtual event series that brings together members of the science education community across career stages and institutional contexts to critically engage queer, quare, and transgender perspectives. Through these frameworks, QTSE examines theory, methods, policy, and praxis; builds shared language and critical consciousness; and considers how science education research and practice can challenge normative systems and foster more just science futures. This inaugural QTSE event introduces queer, quare, and transgender theories as critical frameworks for thinking about teaching, learning, research, and knowledge-making in science education.

Participants will explore how these perspectives challenge normative assumptions about gender, sexuality, identity, bodies, belonging, and what counts as legitimate knowledge in science and STEM spaces. Through speaker insights and facilitated discussion, participants will consider the distinct contributions, intersections, and productive tensions among queer, quare, and transgender theoretical traditions.

The session will also engage the safety, equity, critical, and relational paradigms developed by the presenters as lenses for examining queer and transgender studies in science education. Together, participants will consider how these frameworks can reshape the questions researchers and educators ask, make visible systems of power and exclusion, and support more expansive and affirming approaches to science education.

Hosted by the LGBTQ+ RIG

Career Steps Webinar Series #15

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Friday, September 25, 2026
 

Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin. The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and organizes the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community.

This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success. More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Co-Designing Equitable Futures for Families, Communities, and Youth in Science

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Wednesday, September 16, 2026
 

This interactive virtual event explores how researchers, educators, families, and community partners collaboratively engage in the co-design of equitable STEM learning experiences across formal and informal settings. Centering Black and Latine children, the session will highlight how co-design processes can support STEM identity development, culturally sustaining learning environments, and meaningful partnerships among children, parents, teachers, and researchers.

Presenters will share conceptual frameworks, methodological approaches, practical models, and emerging empirical findings related to family engagement, participatory design, community-based STEM learning, and collaborative innovation.

This 90-minute interactive session will include:

  • Brief framing remarks introducing principles and models of co-design Flash talks from scholars and practitioners representing varying perspectives and contexts Interactive breakout room discussions focused on challenges, tensions, and possibilities within co-design processes
  • A second round of thematic breakout discussions allowing participants to explore topics in greater depth Whole-group synthesis and closing reflections
  • The session intentionally bridges theory and practice by examining how co-design moves from ideation to implementation and evaluation while recognizing that children, families, educators, and researchers each bring valuable expertise to STEM teaching and learning.
  • Strategy discussions for navigating power dynamics, sustaining partnerships, and designing learning experiences that affirm the identities and lived experiences of historically marginalized communities.

Meet Your Speakers:
Christine McWayne, Tufts University
Andres Bustamante, UC Irvine
Eric Dearing, Boston College University of Pittsburgh
Diana Leyva, Boston College University of Pittsburgh
Catherine Haden, Loyola University Chicago
Riley George, Loyola University Chicago
Kim Koin, Chicago Children’s Museum
Jessica Rush Leeker, Cornell University
Jimena Cosso, University of Maryland
Jessica Huancacuri, New York University
Gigliana Melzi, New York University

Landscape Analysis of PreK to Grade 5 Science Assessments: Ready for Research

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Tuesday, September 8, 2026
 

This webinar will introduce findings from a new landscape analysis of PreK–Grade 5 science assessments conducted by researchers at the Center to Advance Elementary Science Assessment, Research, & Technology (CAESART). Using a systematic review methodology, the study identified and cataloged assessments developed over the past two decades to measure elementary students’ science learning for research purposes.

During the session, facilitators will present an overview of the landscape of science and engineering assessments, including key characteristics such as NGSS alignment, grade-level focus, psychometric properties (e.g., validity and reliability evidence), and assessment formats (e.g., open-response and multiple-choice).

Participants will also be introduced to a sample of the assessments identified in the review. Presenters will share highlights from the findings related to both the resources currently available to researchers and gaps in the field where additional measures of student learning are needed. Facilitators will also share a publicly available database of elementary science assessments and lead a discussion about how researchers can use this resource to support studies of elementary science teaching and learning.

Meet Your Speaker:
Andrés Henriquez, Lukas Winfield, Megan Silander; Center to Advance Elementary Science Assessment, Research, and Technology (CAESART), housed at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #14

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Friday, August 28, 2026
 

Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin. The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and organizes the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community.

This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success. More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet Your Speaker: Dr. Felicia Moore Mensah, Professor of Science and Education, Colombia University; Chair - Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology; Science Education Program Director

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #13

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Friday, July 31, 2026
 

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Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin. The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and organizes the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community.

This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success. More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet Your Speaker:
Dr. Shakhnoza Kayumova, Professor of STEM Education and Teacher Development, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth & Director of the Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education

Writing Strong AI Proposals for NARST: Lessons from the RAISE RIG Awards

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026

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Join NARST’s RAISE RIG (Research in AI-Involved Science Education) for its inaugural virtual event — the first in a planned quarterly series.

Two recent RAISE RIG Award winners will present the work that earned them recognition, giving a concrete picture of strong AI-in-science-education research. The RIG's founding chairs, who built the award selection process, then unpack what distinguishes a strong submission. If you are planning a NARST proposal on AI, this session is built to help you write a better one.

Meet Your Speakers: 

Gyeonggeon Lee, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (RAISE RIG Co-Chair) 
Marcus Kubsch, Umeå University, Sweden (RAISE RIG Co-Chair) 
Xiaoming Zhai, University of Georgia, USA (Founding RAISE RIG Chair) 
Kent J. Crippen, University of Florida, USA (Founding RAISE RIG Co-Chair) 
Jongchan Park, University of Georgia, USA (Award Winner) 
Paul Martin, University of Giessen, Germany (Award Winner)

Hosted by: NARST RAISE RIG

Finding Alternative Paths Past the PhD

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Monday, July 13, 2026

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Learn more about NARST’s EXPAND RIG: Exploring Professional Avenues in Science Education in Nontraditional Domains.

This session is designed to bring together members of the NARST community who are interested in, or currently pursuing, research careers beyond traditional academic settings. As the landscape of science education continues to evolve, there is growing recognition that meaningful research and impact occur across a wide range of professional contexts, not only within four-year institutions. At the same time, many doctoral programs continue to prioritize preparation for tenure-track roles, often leaving alternative research pathways underexplored and under supported.

This webinar will highlight the increasing interest in non-traditional PhD pathways that center research, knowledge sharing, and community impact in various educational settings. We aim to spark dialogue, surface emerging career trajectories, and connect individuals to reimagine what it means to be a STEM/science education researcher.

Hosted by: NARST EXPAND RIG

NARST Membership Writing Retreat

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Friday, July 10, 2026

Join us for a Writing Retreat organized by the NARST Membership Committee!

This will be a 2-hour virtual event where members come together to write in community on writing projects as a virtual kick-off for the 2027 Conference proposals. The Writing Retreat is a collective space where members write and support each other.

Hosted by the NARST Membership Committee

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #12

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Friday, June 26, 2026 
 

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Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin.

The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and is proud to organize the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community.

This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success.

More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet Your Speaker: Dr. Xiaoming Zhai Associate Professor of Science Education & Artificial Intelligence, The University of Georgia

Conducting Ethical Research with LGBTQIA+ Participants in STEM Education

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Wednesday, June 17, 2026 
 

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Ethical research involving LGBTQIA+ individuals in STEM higher education requires more than procedural IRB compliance. Science and STEM education researchers must attend to confidentiality risks, identity fluidity, power dynamics, framework selection, recruitment hostility, re-identification risks, political threats to data ownership, and dissemination practices that may unintentionally erase or misrepresent minoritized communities.

This interactive virtual workshop presents a structured professional development model developed through PRISMATIC (Propagating Research Ethics around Sexual Marginalization and Transgender Issues Conference). Building upon prior local and national conference presentations and training and informed by professional development field testing, the PRISMATIC 2 training engages researchers in applied ethical discussion using authentic, research-based scenarios. Participants will engage in guided small-group discussions centered on realistic dilemmas across the research cycle, including: (a) token representation and community membership on research teams; (b) framework selection and survey design; (c) recruitment hostility and trauma-informed interviewing; (d) evolving gender identity in longitudinal education research; (e) re-identification risk; (f) political and legal threats to data confidentiality; and (g) how to avoid deficit-based comparison framing in proposals and research reports. By using structured prompts grounded in the Belmont Principles, and critically extending them (i.e., “Queering the Belmont Report”), participants will examine how respect for persons, beneficence, and justice can be operationalize in research involving LGBTQIA+ communities in contemporary educational and sociopolitical contexts.

The workshop is designed for equity and STEM education researchers, graduate students, faculty, journal reviewers, and research administrators. Participants will leave with practical decision-making tools and strategies after having engaged in applied reflection exercises to strengthen their understanding of ethical practices and how to protect LGBTQIA+ participants across all phases of their research.

Meet Your Speakers:

  • Dr. Beth Lewis (Dept. of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education)
  • Dr. Wendy Smith (Director, UNL Center for Transformative Teaching/Dept. of Mathematics), University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #11

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Friday, June 19, 2026 
 

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Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin.

The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and is proud to organize the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community.

This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success.

More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet Your Speaker: Dr. Jared Oluoch, Professor and Director, School of Information Security & Applied Computing, Eastern Michigan University

Every Student Has a Voice in Science: Broadening Secondary Student Participation

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Wednesday, May 20, 2026 
 

The scientific method is integral to how we teach science as reflected by the “practices” dimension of the Next Generation Science Standards. To strengthen their scientific literacy, students need opportunities to expand their scientific knowledge and develop skills relevant to the field such as making observations, asking questions, reviewing the literature, planning an investigation, analyzing and synthesizing data, and sharing findings. Because communication is at the core of the scientific method and these skills, science education must balance content instruction with authentic science communication practices, including reading primary sources, participating in the peer review process, and communicating scientific research to different audiences. At our nonprofit organization, Emerging Investigators, we believe all students have a voice in science, and we provide students with meaningful, real-world opportunities to engage in science communication.

In this presentation, we will spotlight opportunities for middle and high school students to engage in authentic science communication and publishing, including our Journal of Emerging Investigators, a peer-reviewed publication for secondary students; eiRxiv, our preprint platform launched in 2025; and our recently published NGSS-aligned classroom resources built on the practice of obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Our editorial and educational resources are designed to meet the needs of secondary students while also reflecting current scientific practices. While all NARST members are welcome to join our presentation, it is tailored for science educators who directly work with secondary teachers and/or students. We will present practical applications for our resources as well as strategies for using them in the classroom, citing peer-reviewed findings from our collaborators and our collective experience as science educators.

 

Hosted by: Jessie Mader, PhD Candidate at Colorado State University, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Emerging Investigators

Expanding the Reach of Science Education Research Through Social Media

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Wednesday, May 13, 2026 

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This virtual event provides NARST members with research-informed and practical strategies for disseminating science education research through professional social media platforms. Drawing on empirical and theoretical scholarship on digital scholarship, science communication, and academic visibility, the session examines how researchers can ethically translate peer-reviewed research into accessible formats for wider audiences. The event focuses explicitly on the strategic use of platforms such as LinkedIn, X, and ResearchGate to broaden research reach while maintaining scholarly rigor. A live question-and-answer segment will allow participants to engage with examples and discuss challenges related to digital research dissemination.

Meet Your Speaker: Shallom Abla Lumor, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

The Future of Data and Computing in K-12: A National Academies Consensus Report

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Wednesday, May 6, 2026

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The rapidly changing landscape of computing, information, and communications technologies have catapulted us into the computing revolution and era of big data. Currently, multiple, disconnected efforts in K-12 are attempting to address these new demands. However, there is a need to consider the similarity across computing-related disciplines to identify the core set of flexible, foundational competencies that will allow for adapting across changing workplace demands.

This project aims to advance national conversations by identifying the competencies students need to navigate and succeed in the changing computational landscape and the role that K-12 education can play in developing these competencies. This webinar will share an overview of this newly released National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report, "Developing Competencies for the Future of Data and Computing: the Role of K-12." Presented by a writing committee member, this webinar will share the key conclusions and recommendations.

Meet Your Speakers: 

Janice Mak, Arizona State University
Joshua Rosenberg, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Connecting Science Knowledge through Storytelling from Around the World, Part 2

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Tuesday, May 5, 2026 

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Join science educators and researchers who are engaged in work focused on Indigenous science, knowledge, and community-based research. This series of four webinars is hosted by the Indigenous Science Knowledge Research Interest Group and is open to all NARST members.

This session is our second in a series focused on how Indigenous stories from around the world convey knowledge about science and engineering concepts and practices. In our first session, members of the ISK RIG shared a selection of global stories from their Indigenous communities, and speakers discussed themes and considerations of using stories within science education. In this proposed second session, we will build on ideas presented through this first session and our participants' reflections and discussion to share more about how we can ethically and responsibly connect to phenomenon-based science and engineering through stories. We will also focus on specific disciplinary content themes, such as foodways, sustainability, and earth systems within stories, and we will also highlight research projects that are incorporating storytelling either as methodology or as part of our understanding of how learning occurs. Finally, speakers will share their approaches for engaging with stories and storytelling in a way that honors the cultural property and data sovereignty of the communities in which they are from or with which they are engaged.

This interactive session will include presentations from speakers who are deeply engaged in the use of story within science education and research discussing their work and thoughts connected to these focus areas, followed by the opportunity for participants to reflect and collaborate around their own work, next steps, and continued opportunities for growth and learning.

Meet Your Speakers:

  • Julie Robinson, University of North Dakota
  • Pauline Chinn, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • Stacy Potes, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • Carley Malloy, Dartmouth College
  • Bhaskar Upadhyay, University of Minnesota
  • Piata Allen, University of Auckland
  • Peresang Sukinarhimi, National Sun Yat-sen University

STE²AM-X Model: The Missing Link Between Science and Ethics

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Friday, May 1, 2026 

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STE²AM-X is a universal, experience-driven educational methodology, developed from doctoral research at the Faculty of Education, The University of Auckland, New Zealand. It combines enquiry, project-based learning, AI, and ethical reasoning to create meaningful, real-world learning experiences.

Designed for learners of all ages and contexts -- from schools and universities to workplaces, businesses, families, personal relationships, life challenges, and community programs -- STE²AM-X systematically integrates principles of scientific enquiry, ethical reflection, and mindful AI use. Participants engage in a dynamic learning cycle that fosters independent thinking, real-world problem-solving, and the responsible application of AI. The methodology provides practical strategies for embedding AI into projects, assessing learning outcomes, and cultivating ethical decision-making across disciplines.

Meet Your Speaker: Reynand Dumala-on, PhD Research Candidate Faculty of Arts and Education, The University of Auckland New Zealand

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #10

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Tuesday, April 24, 2026

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Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin.

The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and is proud to organize the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community.

This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success.

More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet Your Speaker: Dr. Micah Johnson is a Regulatory Medical Writer at Johnson & Johnson

AI & the Future of Science Ed: Rethinking Systems, Learning, & Human Agency

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Tuesday, April 7, 2026

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Artificial intelligence is no longer a peripheral issue in education since it is quickly reshaping how we access information, construct knowledge, and demonstrate our understanding of the world. This town hall, intended for science education researchers, teacher educators, and practitioners, is designed to explore how the socioscientific issue of AI is transforming our ability to learn, assess, design curricula, and conduct research, now and in the coming years.

What new research questions will emerge as human intelligence is challenged in its many capacities and perspectives? How might teachers adapt amidst a transforming landscape? How do we center human agency towards equitable and ethical outcomes amid accelerating technological advancements with every passing day?

We invite you to examine how AI is shifting systems of education on many levels by displacing teacher authority, redefining disciplinary practices, and challenging established assumptions about what counts as learning. Come join us in a town hall to discuss and address the tensions, opportunities, and future directions for science education in the age of AI.

Meet Your Speaker: Eric Nolan, PhD California State University, East Bay

Membership Meeting Writing Retreat

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Friday, April 3, 2026  (3 sessions)

The Membership Committee invites members of the NARST community to join a writing retreat. We offer a space for members to write in fellowship with other colleagues from all over the globe. The event will be hosted on April 3, 2026 at three different times to accommodate different time zones.

Meet your Speaker:
Theila Smith, Brooklyn College/NYC Public Schools

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #9

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Friday, March 27, 2026

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Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin.

The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and is proud to organize the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community. This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success.

More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet your Speaker: 
Dr. Jeremy Roschelle, Executive Director, Digital Promise's Learning Sciences Research Team Podcast Host, Future Fluent Podcast

API RIG Spring 2026 Virtual Town Hall

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Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Participate in this virtual town hall for API RIG members to come together to discuss issues pertaining to their scholarship, career, and anticipations for the upcoming NARST conference.

API RIG Leadership will Facilitate: 
Edna Tan, Chair 
Rishi Krishnamoorthy, Co-Chair 
Jooyoung Jeon, Secretary 
Myeongji Kim, Treasurer 
Mila Rosa Carden, Steering committee co-chair 
Jianlan Wang, Steering committee co-chair 
Sam Lee, Steering committee member

Queer Ecology and Gender-Affirming Biology

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Tuesday, March 24, 2026

In this online workshop, we describe the design and enactment of an interdisciplinary STEM course – Queer Ecologies and Gender Affirming Biology for pre- and in-service educators.

We will share background knowledge and engage with data to make claims about the diversity of sex, gender, and sexuality in the natural world (including humans) as we ask, how can we move away from “single story” dominant disciplinary narratives of sex, gender and sexuality towards more accurate as well as equitable disciplinary ways of knowing?

Meet your Speakers: 
Veronica Cassone McGowan, PhD, University of Washington Bothell
Bryan White, PhD, University of Washington Bothell
Carrie Tzou, PhD, Northwestern University
Symone Gyles, University of California Irvine
Elizabeth Starks, University of Washington Bothell

Interested in resources or information about upcoming events related to queer ecology and gender affirming biology? Contact:
Veronica Cassone McGowan
University of Washington Bothell
vmcgowan@uw.edu

Introduction to Accessible Design for Posters and Presentations

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Friday, March 20, 2026

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This session introduces members to accessible design for posters and presentations. This will include size, font, colors, layout, and more.

Presenters will review best practices and considerations for making accessible conference materials. Use this information as you are preparing your NARST Conference presentations.

Meet your Speaker: 
Ronan Rock, University of Illinois Chicago

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #8

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Friday, February 27, 2026

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Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin.

The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and is proud to organize the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community. This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success.

More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet your Speaker: 
Dr. Chandra Orrill, Executive Director for Research & Development Rethink Learning Labs

Connecting to Science Knowledge through Storytelling from Around the World

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Tuesday, February 3, 2026

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Join science educators and researchers who are engaged in work focused on Indigenous science, knowledge, and community-based research. This series of four webinars is hosted by the Indigenous Science Knowledge Research Interest Group and is open to all NARST members.

This first session will focus on storytelling and narrative within Indigenous research methodologies. There will be opportunities for sharing and discussing projects and future collaborations in preparation for the 2027 NARST conference.

Meet your Speakers:
Julie Robinson, University of North Dakota 
Pauline Chinn, University of Hawaii at Manoa 
Carley Malloy, Dartmouth College 
Piata Allen, University of Auckland 
Peresang Sukinarhimi, National Sun Yat-sen University

Graduate Student Career Steps Webinar Series #7

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Friday, January 30, 2026

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Navigating the transition from graduate studies to a fulfilling career can feel overwhelming. With countless possibilities - academia, industry, government, non-profits, and beyond - graduate students often find themselves uncertain about which path to pursue or how to begin.

The Graduate Student Committee recognizes this challenge and is proud to organize the Career Steps Webinar Series, an engaging, monthly webinar series designed to illuminate multiple career trajectories, offer practical guidance, and foster meaningful connections within the NARST community. This webinar series features accomplished PhDs and seasoned NARST members who have traversed the journey you are beginning. By sharing their personal stories - complete with challenges, pivotal moments, and unexpected opportunities - our speakers bring to life the myriad routes to career success.

More than mere inspiration, these sessions provide concrete strategies, resources, and networks you can leverage as you craft your own path. After all, one meaningful connection can be the spark that redefines your career trajectory.

Meet your Speaker: 
Dr. Travis Weiland, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Data for Policy Research: Accessing and Leveraging NWEA’s MAP Growth Science

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Friday, January 16, 2026 

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Since 2016, NWEA has offered science assessments aligned to the Framework for K–12 Science Education. Administered nationwide to partner schools and districts, MAP Growth Science and End-of-Course Biology assessments now provide longitudinal data for many long-term partner schools.

Join us for this webinar on accessing and using NWEA science data for research.

Learn about MAP Growth Science and End-of-Course Biology exams, the types of data they provide, how to access the data for research, and the kinds of questions the data can help answer.

Speakers:

Susan M. Kowalski, NWEA 
Susan Berg, NWEA 
Scott Peters, NWEA