University Distinguished Professor of Science Education Gail Jones Receives NARST Fellows Program Award

Gail Jones, a University Distinguished Professor of Science Education in NC State’s College of Education, has been selected as an recipient of the 2025 National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Fellows Program award. 

The NARST Fellows Program recognizes accomplished scholars and community members whose scholarship, service and leadership contribute to and advance both the NARST community and the field of science education.

“It is an honor to be recognized with this award. I have been a member of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching for many years and have many rewarding experiences serving on committees and the executive board,” Jones said. “The Fellows Program is designed to not only recognize contributions but to also create a network of scholars who can continue to push science education forward. I look forward to mentoring new scholars and helping to guide the organization in new directions.”

Jones’ research examines the teaching and learning of science in a variety of sociocultural contexts, with a focus on how a variety of subgroups learn and explores nanoscale in science education.

Her award-winning work on the Families and Museums Exploring (FAME) project has helped to expand childrens’ and families’ participation and interest in in STEM through a partnership between the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and three local museums: Marbles Kids Museum, the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. Currently, she leads the educational research component of the NSF Science and Technology Center – Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS), and is working in collaboration with Appalachian State University to research teacher-directed microcredentials as a form of professional development.

In 2022, Jones was honored by NARST with the Distinguished Contributions to Science Education through Research Award. The highest honor the organization gives to its members, the award is designed to recognize the superior caliber of the recipient’s professional accomplishments. The same year, she was also selected as an AERA Fellow, the American Educational Research Association’s highest honor that recognizes exceptional research contributions to education.