October 26, 2022
In this Issue:

  • 2022 NABT Election Results
  • Dr. John Jungck Named 2022 NABT Honorary Member
  • Ticket Price Reduced for NABT Event at the NCAA Hall of Champions
  • Sponsor Spotlight: Bee in the know with Bio-Rad!
  • Announcing the Passing of Gordon Plumblee
  • IGELS Workshop: Tools, Tips, & Strategies to Enhance Undergraduate Biology for Non-majors
  • Call for Proposals: NABT Inclusive Teaching Symposium
  • Project Dragon Fly Accepting Applications For 2023
  • Sponsor Spotlight: 3D Molecular Design Models Give Words Meaning
2022 NABT Election Results

Members of the National Association of Biology Teachers have selected the newest group of leaders to serve our community.

Official results of the 2022 NABT Election are listed below, and the elected officers will begin their terms on January 1, 2023.

President-Elect: Amanda (Glaze) Townley, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Director-at-Large: Kristy Daniel, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

Region I Coordinator: Don Pinkerton, Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard Cambridge, MA

Region III Coordinator: David Butler, Southern Wells High School, Poneto, IN

Region VII Coordinator: Lee Ferguson, Allen High School, Allen, TX

Congratulations to this year's election winners. We also want to share our sincerest thanks to all candidates who ran in this year's election, including Steve Christenson, Anneke Metz, Ingrid Burke, Jason Cox, and Phil Gibson. 2022 marks the 84th NABT Election, and our community is incredibly fortunate to have so many highly-qualified individuals willing to run for leadership positions. 

We are also grateful to the NABT Nominations Committee for recruiting and confirming the candidates for this year's ballot.

We look forward to welcoming our newly-elected leaders in January and appreciate their continued service to NABT.
Dr. John Jungck Named 2022 NABT Honorary Member

It is a unique challenge to describe the impact of John Jungck's career on biology education. "Influencer" doesn't fully capture John's warmth and unwavering support as he encourages every learner and colleague he encounters. "Visionary" does not adequately convey the seismic impact of John's work. A 1994 article in Science is probably the closest when author Virginia Morrell described John as the "Godfather of Virtual Bio and Genetics Labs."

This year, the National Association for Biology Teachers is proud to name Dr. John Jungck as the 2022 NABT Honorary Member, the highest honor given by NABT. The Honorary Membership recognizes individuals who have "achieved distinction in teaching, research, or service." Even if you do not know John's name, you have benefited from his groundbreaking work in mathematical modeling, quantitative biology, and science education.

John describes himself as a "theoretical biologist who specializes in molecular evolution, evolutionary bioinformatics, image analysis, and mathematical biology education. My interests are deeply involved with various aspects of promoting interdisciplinary work: science, technology, and society; history, philosophy, and social studies of biology; art and science (STEAM – putting art in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics); numeracy (quantitative reasoning); Citizen Science and Participatory Democracy; international collaboration (International Union of Biological Sciences); mathematics and science education (PBL, collaborative learning, open-ended investigations, strategic simulations for learning long-term strategies of research, problem-solving, interdisciplinary education, progressive cyberlearning); and, promoting diversity and student retention."

It can be a lot to unpack unless you appreciate that one of John's fundamental qualities is identifying intersections (or making them happen into existence). John earned his BS in Biochemistry and Mathematics and MS in Genetics and Microbiology, both at the University of Minnesota. He then earned his PhD in Evolution, Molecular, and Cellular Biology at the University of Miami. He also has an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Minnesota.

John's experience teaching evolutionary biology led him to get involved in many organizations, including NABT. His service to NABT resulted in him being appointed editor of The American Biology Teacher in 1984. He also was NABT's formal representative to AAAS for many years.

In 1986, John co-founded the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium, then at Beloit College. Working with Nils S. Peterson, CEO of From the Heart Software, John developed the "3 P's(problem posing, problem-solving, and peer persuasion) in learning biology that is the bedrock of BioQUEST's approach to resource and network development. Interestingly, the 3P's were introduced not in a biology teaching journal but in Academic Computing in 1988.

After stepping down as the decades-long director of BioQUEST, John joined the faculty at the University of Delaware, where he is a Professor of Biological Sciences and Mathematical Sciences, the Inaugural Fellow of the Honors College, and Associate Director of the Institute for Transforming University Education. 

Throughout his time at BioQUEST and now at the University, John has served as the editor for several journals, received awards and honors like being named a Fellow of AAAS, ACUBE, AIBS, and SICB, being a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand, and being a recipient of the Bruce Alberts Award from the American Society for Cell Biology and the T. H. Huxley Award from the Society for the Study of Evolution. He also has an award named after him. The John Jungck Prize for Excellence in Education is now given by the Society for Mathematical Biology.

"My aspiration as a biology educator has been to try to create a community devoted to making biology education more open and accessible so as to be more inclusive, collaborative, and supportive," said John in a statement. "As an evolutionary biologist and genetics educator, I believe that mathematics is a civil right that empowers students to become better citizens in a participatory democracy and socially responsible." 

John's career changed how we teach biology. But as the letters of support for the honorary membership illustrated, John also changed why we teach biology. Words like "mentor," "connector," and "friend" really do get closer to describing John. And don't forget "Godfather."

NABT will officially recognize Dr. John Jungck at the 2022 Honors Luncheon during the NABT Professional Development Conference, where we can finally thank him for making (a least some of) us enjoy teaching math.
Ticket Price Reduced for NABT Event at the NCAA Hall of Champions

NABT is taking over the NCAA Hall of Champions for a special evening event on Saturday, November 12th! Show some school spirit by wearing your favorite shirt/jacket/hat/accessories to this unique museum.

The Hall of Champions boasts two levels of interactive exhibits to engage visitors and create a new understanding of what it takes to make the grade. On the first level, all 24 NCAA sports are represented and include trivia challenges, current team rankings, video highlights, and artifacts donated from colleges around the nation. "Play" on the second level features an interactive area to compete virtually and hands-on through sports simulators.

Your (now) $35 ticket includes museum admission, food and drinks, and a night to remember in Indy. A shuttle will also be provided. Space is limited, so get your ticket today at NABT at NCAA. Instructions for adding this ticket and any other special events are available here.
Sponsor Spotlight
Bee in the know with Bio-Rad!

What’s the buzz in Indy? Experience hands-on learning and cutting-edge topic and technology workshops hosted by Bio-Rad Explorer! Plan ahead and visit
Bio-Rad.com/NABT22 to learn more.

If you’re unable to attend this year’s conference, register now for our fall webinars at

The Bio-Rad Explorer program is proud to sponsor NABT and The Ron Mardigian Biotechnology Teaching Award.
Announcing the Passing of
Gordon Plumblee

NABT is sad to report that longtime member and friend Mr. Gordon Plumblee has passed away at the age of 75.

Upon receiving his BS in Biology in 1969 from Mars Hill University in Mars Hill, North Carolina, Gordon joined NABT and soon after began a 35-year career teaching biology at Western Alamance High School (WAHS) in Elon, NC.

Gordon continued his education and in 1973 he received his MA in teaching Biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He also received a 6th-year advanced certification in science education from East Carolina University.

As his obituary noted, Gordon "taught under an unwavering belief that all his students shared his joy of and desire for learning. Gordon did not merely teach, he inspired." His dedication to biology education earned Gordon the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) from NABT in 1979 and the Alamance County Teacher of the Year in 1983.

Gordon is survived by his wife Janice, his children, grandchildren, nieces and cousins, and countless students, colleagues, and friends who will miss his wisdom, generosity, and his unique "amphibian-like" chuckle.
IGELS Workshop: Tools, Tips, & Strategies to Enhance Undergraduate Biology for Non-majors

Join us for an interactive, inquiry-based workshop to engage in practical activities to help students see the relevance of science to their lives and increase their reasoning and science process skills.

This free special workshop, entitled "Interactions in General Education Life Science Courses (IGELS): Tools, Tips, & Strategies to Enhance Undergraduate Biology for Non-majors," will be held during the NABT Conference on Thursday, November 10th from 11:30am - 3:30pm. Lunch is included and all workshop attendees will receive a complimentary one-year membership to NABT.

Presenters will share strategies and practices to enhance the learning of biology with a focus on interactions, DEI considerations, civic engagement, identifying appropriate curricular resources, and alternative assessments. Participants will leave the workshop with ideas and materials they can immediately implement in their own courses, as well as information about becoming part of this growing network of general education instructors and researchers through the NSF-funded IGELS project.
 
Learn more at NABT Special Workshops or add a ticket to your conference registration.
Call for Proposals:
NABT Inclusive Teaching Symposium

You are invited to submit proposals to share your work on inclusive teaching in life sciences education. This special symposium, in the spirit of inclusion, seeks representation from all levels of biology and life science teaching. 

The theme of the 2023 Inclusive Teaching Symposium, "Applying Ethics of Care and Community Cultural Wealth to Improve STEM Teaching" is based on a recent essay Reframing Educational Outcomes: Moving beyond Achievement Gaps by S. Shukla et al. (CBE-Life Sciences Education, Summer 2022, 21:es2, 1-11) 

Community Cultural Wealth focuses on assets that students bring to the classroom, whereas, Ethics of Care is based on assets that an instructor brings to develop a classroom of respect. We are interested in learning how educational research might contribute to these frameworks and how educators can seek out situations that promote individual growth and maintain a caring classroom community. We welcome data-driven education research as well as experimental strategies about these 2 asset-based frameworks to meet learning goals and student outcomes.

This is a refereed session to be presented online on March 2nd. Successful submissions will be invited to present a 20-minute talk at the symposium.  

Learn more at 2023 Inclusive Teaching Symposium. The deadline for submission is December 1, 2022.
Sponsor Spotlight
Project Dragon Fly Accepting Applications For 2023

Miami University’s Project Dragonfly reaches millions of people each year through inquiry-driven learning media, public exhibits, and graduate programs worldwide.

Project Dragon Fly is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences at global field sites in 15 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Learn more at http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu

Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master's degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master's part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad. Applications are now being accepted until January 28 and courses begin in May 2023. Learn more at http://GFP.MiamiOH.edu

Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master's degree that combines web instruction from Miami University with face-to-face experiential learning and field study through several AIP sites in the U.S. Applications for the 2023 cohorts are now being accepted until February 28, with place-based experiences provided at zoos and botanical gardens in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis. New in 2023, residents of the Detroit, Michigan, area can study at AIP's newest site, Detroit Zoological Society, and earn Miami's AIP master's degree. Learn more at http://AIP.MiamiOH.edu

Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from
Miami University.

Project Dragonfly is based in the biology department at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Established as a state university in 1809, Miami is one of the eight original Public Ivies and has a distinguished record of excellence in research and teaching in science and science education.


November 10 - 13, 2022
JW Marriott Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN

NABT logoware is now available from Lands’ End.
P.O. Box 3363
Warrenton, VA 20188
Phone: (888) 501-NABT 
Are you hosting a workshop?
Use our easy online form to order free items from NABT such as copies of ABT, membership coupons, and other NABT merchandise.
Notices that appear in News & Views are announcements only and do not indicate an endorsement by NABT. Permission is granted by the National Association of Biology Teachers for libraries and other users to make reproductions for their own or their client's personal, noncommercial, or internal use. 

copyright © 2022 All rights reserved