AV研究所

Katherine L. McNeill, the Bryk Faculty Fellow in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, has been selected for the Massachusetts Science Educators Hall of Fame, which acknowledges individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of education in the sciences and/or science teaching in the commonwealth for a minimum of 20 years.

McNeill, a professor in the Teaching, Curriculum and Society Department, will be inducted at the Massachusetts Science Education Leadership Association Annual Conference on October 23.聽 Additionally, she will be honored that evening by the Massachusetts Science Teachers Association at its annual awards dinner.

For more than three decades, the Massachusetts Science Educators Hall of Fame has recognized and honored 鈥渟ome of the most impactful science educators who have influenced countless students, teachers, and programs across the commonwealth and beyond,鈥� according to a statement from Jennifer Craddock, chair of the organization鈥檚 executive board.

McNeill, who joined AV研究所 in 2006, focuses on the design and scale of curriculum, professional learning, and other resources to support students, teachers and instructional leaders in equitable scientific 鈥渟ensemaking鈥濃�攖he process by which students actively try to understand how the world works by leveraging their previous knowledge and experience as they build, refine, and test more complicated scientific explanations over time. 聽

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be inducted into the Massachusetts Science Educators Hall of Fame as recognition for the work with schools and impact on science education across the state,鈥� said McNeill, who also serves as the Master of Education program director for Curriculum and Instruction at the Lynch School. 聽鈥淚t has been a privilege to work with so many amazing instructional leaders, teachers, and students in the state over the last 20 years.

鈥淭hroughout my career, my research has always occurred in close partnership with districts across the state. I believe that the best work results from research that is done with teachers and students rather than something that is done to teachers and students. The teachers and their students should be at the center of educational research to be responsive to their needs, interests, and strengths.鈥�

Among her achievements, McNeill has received Early Career Research and Fellows awards from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) and was named a fellow by the International Society for Design and Development in Education. She has conducted numerous workshops at the annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association and for public school systems in Boston, Denver, and Detroit.

鈥淎cross her two decades at AV研究所, Kate McNeill has both done first-rate academic research鈥� illuminating how young people learn science鈥攁nd worked closely with educators and schools to translate that science into improved educational practice,鈥� said Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see her being recognized for these sustained contributions.鈥�