Sally Goetz Shuler, Executive Director of the National Science Resources Center, received the Distinguished Service to Science Education Award from the National Science Teachers Association at NSTA’s annual conference in St. Louis March 31. The award is one of the highest honors bestowed by NSTA.

The NSTA presents one or more awards annually to honor NSTA members who, through active leadership and scholarly endeavor over a significant period of time, have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of education in the sciences and science teaching.

The citation for the award reads, in part: "Throughout her career, Sally has sustained a comprehensive record of contributions and service to science education overall and to NSRC specifically. Reflective of her many notable accomplishments, she has served NSTA as a champion of hands-on, inquiry-based science learning for all students. She presents a practical yet innovative approach for science success and works diligently to institute systemic science education reform changes in schools."

"This honor is less a personal achievement than the result of two decades of effort by the hard-working and dedicated staff of the NSRC," noted Shuler. "We are small in number but large in impact. We take immense pride in having helped school districts not only in the United States but also in other countries make tremendous strides in the way they help their students learn science."

Shuler co-founded the NSRC in 1985 and served as the organization’s Deputy Director until 2001, when she became Executive Director. She has a master's degree in Environmental Health Science from George Washington University and an undergraduate degree from Edinboro State University, Edinboro, Pa. Her experience in pre-college education includes 10 years as a classroom teacher of biology and earth science. For five years following her classroom experience, she managed science curriculum development projects and organized large-scale in-service education programs for elementary, intermediate, and high school teachers. In addition, she served as a consultant to a public health project in Nigeria sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development, developing curriculum materials and organizing teacher workshops.

Previous winners of this award are Rodney Doran (2000); Michael Batoff, Richard Duncan, and JoAnne Vasquez (2001); Bonnie Brunkhorst, Mary Corcoran, Harry Kranepool, and Shelley Lee (2002); Mamie Moy, Michael Padilla, and Carlo Parravano (2003); Lloyd Barrow, Arthur Eisenkraft, and Dennis Schatz (2005); and Thomas Gadsden, Jr. (2006). No award was given in 2004, and Shuler was the only recipient of the award this year.