YouTube guru Paul Andersen and NSTA’s Teshia Birts (Chapter Relations)
Science Evangelist is a term I’ve been seeing a lot of lately, and I really like it. Who rates usage of the term? Only some of the brightest stars in the science education community… Ainissa Ramirez (read about her on the TED blog) is one of my favorites, and I think just about everyone admires Neil deGrasse Tyson (who recently achieved Twitterati status). Steve Spangler is fun (he even wowed Ellen DeGeneres), and the newest but certainly not the least-inspiring person on my radar is Paul Andersen (2011 Montana Teacher of the Year, one of four finalists for the 2011 National Teacher of the Year, and YouTube Edu Guru). We were lucky enough to meet him at a recent conference, learned a lot about what’s happening in the science ed community, and we’re hoping to do so again at our National Conference in San Antonio this spring. They motivate students, other educators, parents, and our elected officials. These are shining examples of how we can inspire the next generation of scientists, and they personally keep me enthused about my job. I’m always on the look-out for fresh inspiration, so please share with me the notable names who should be on this list!
I’d add Beau Lotto to the list! He’s an neuroscientist who combines art and science to create experiments and exhibits (through London’s Science Museum). Check out his Ted Talk — with one of the youngest scientists in the world, 12 year old Amy O’Tootle. http://www.ted.com/talks/beau_lotto_amy_o_toole_science_is_for_everyone_kids_included.html