2025 NAGT Elections
published Jun 2, 2025 8:51amLearn more about the 2025 NAGT officer candidates below. Use the links below to jump down to particular Divisions. Starting in 2024, voting takes place on a single ballot - you will see candidates for any Section and/or Division you are a member of.
Jump to: National Candidates | Teacher Education Division (TED) Candidates | Geoscience Education Research (GER) Candidates | Geo2YC Candidates | Section Candidates
National Officer Candidates
Second Vice President: Megan Plenge
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
--Southeast NAGT's State Representative for North Carolina (2021-present)
--National Association of Geoscience Teacher (NAGT) Professional Development Planning Committee (2022-2024)
--Program Co-Chair, 2022 & 2023 NAGT Earth Educator Rendezvous (2021 - 2023)
--Planning Committee, 2021 NAGT Earth Educator Rendezvous (2020 – 2023)
--EER Conference participant, 2018-2024
--EER Workshop presenter, 2019 & 2021
--Online course design workshop, 2024 & 2025
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
I am eager to support the NAGT in its mission to help educators find effective and timely instructional materials and communicate research-based teaching practices. I am always excited to bring these materials to new audiences through workshops and other programmatic contributions and to learn from the vast network of educators I have met through the NAGT.
I have experience as a high school educator, an instructor and lab coordinator at a small private liberal arts school and now at a large state institution. These experiences have broaden my conception of what geoscience classrooms look like. I am currently the director of an administrative program at UNC, which has provided me with valuable administrative experience with interdisciplinary instruction and curriculum development, which will inform how I approach my role as part of the NAGT leadership team given the opportunity.
Councilor-at-large: Meghan Cook
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I've been involved with NAGT in a few different ways that all tie back to my commitment to supporting geoscience educators. I started as the Southeastern regional coordinator for the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) award and now lead the program at the national level. I'm working to make the process more inclusive, transparent, and easier to sustain when leadership transitions happen. I also serve on NAGT's DEI committee, where I help advance conversations around equity and inclusion. This work connects closely with my research on reducing barriers to fieldwork. I've published in the Journal of Geoscience Education, and some of my work is featured on the Teach the Earth portal. While I now work in educational development across disciplines, I regularly used Teach the Earth in my own geoscience courses and still draw on my NAGT connections and experiences in all aspects of my professional work.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
As an educational developer and discipline-based education researcher, I care deeply about helping educators grow, feel supported, and make meaningful changes in how they teach. I'm heavily involved in the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education and recently served as chair of the Professional Development Committee, which helped to shape how I think about building inclusive, sustainable structures that serve educators across contexts. That work, along with my leadership of the OEST award and service on NAGT's DEI committee, has shown me how professional organizations can create powerful, long-term impact. As a leader, I want to help NAGT stay a strong, welcoming community that connects people, supports innovative teaching, and amplifies voices that haven't always been heard in the geosciences. I'm excited to support educators and help make sure our work continues to evolve with intention.
Councilor-at-large: Stefany Sit
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I've been a NAGT member for over 10 years and I am currently a Traveling Workshop Program facilitator. Within that role I have helped design and lead university and national workshops on active learning, inclusive practices, and mentorship. Previously, I have also served on the NAGT Webinar Planning committee where we helped identify key topics that could support our professional development as educators. And more recently I participated as a Community Discovery Advisor on the Compass project which was led by the Science Education Resource Center to help improve the discoverability of educational resources on the SERC website.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
As a Councilor-at-large, I hope to share perspectives that are critical to geoscience educators and support improved teaching and learning throughout the geoscience community. In particular, as a NAGT member and as a faculty member at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), I am focused on student success which includes robust partnerships and communication between two-year and four-year colleges, creating inclusive environments that foster equity and diversity, and professional development that supports innovative and dynamic educational practices. In various roles I have had on departmental, university, and professional organization committees, I strive to listen to community members, create open space for dialogue, and balance short and long-term goals. I look forward to serving the NAGT community and advancing the organization's mission.
Teacher Education Division (TED) Officer Candidates
Treasurer: Debbie French
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I am currently a member of NAGT's Webinar committee and serve as secretary for NAGT's Teacher Education Division. Typically, the secretary and treasurer roles are given to one person; thus, adding on the treasurer position will be in alignment with NAGT roles.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
I would like to continue my service to NAGT and the Teacher Education Division and expand my role as treasurer. As a science education professor, these roles allow me to support science teachers through providing relevant Earth Science content and professional development.
Geoscience Education Research (GER) Officer Candidates
President: Larry Collins
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
In the past, I have engaged with NAGT by being a member of the GER Division for several years. As a member of this Division, I previously served on the GER leadership as Media Director where my primary responsibility was preparing and sending out Division newsletters. Furthermore, I have also conducted a webinar for graduate students onrunning effective workshops with other co-presenters. Lastly, I have also presented my work at the EER in the capacity of teaching demonstrations, workshops, and research presentations. My research has also been presented in the NAGT-GER session at GSA several times over the past few years in "Making Sense of Methodologies and Theoretical Frameworks in Geoscience Education Research."
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
Seeing the Geoscience Education Research community continue to grow and thrive is the reason behind my interest in wanting to continue service with national-level organizations such as NAGT. In addition to those stated above, my past experiences have also included several roles with the Geological Society of America including the Education Committee (Graduate Student Representative and 4-Year Colleges Representative) and the Geoscience Education Division (Graduate Student Representative, Division Chair, and Past Chair). Given the number of service opportunities that I have engaged in with the geoscience education community, I think that I have a wealth of experiences to draw upon in this position and expertise to further serve our Division and NAGT broadly.
Vice President: Zo Kreager
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I have been a member of NAGT since working on my Masters Degree in 2015. During my PhD, I held the first ever position of Graduate Student Liaison for the GER Division. I have participated in three Earth Education Rendezvous, Co-hosted GSA sessions for NAGT, and participated in many NAGT workshops. In 2020/2021 I participated in the NAGT Unlearning Racism in the Geoscience Pod, in which we reviewed the divisions policies and goals to evaluate barriers and develop goals for improving diverse representation and how to best support our diverse members.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
I have been actively engaged in NAGT and geoscience education research for many years and from many view points. I have been fortunate to see how this organization supports graduate students, large state schools, small state schools and 2YC institutions. This range of experiences helps me provide an insight that can see how each decision we make may impact all stakeholders. My goals for NAGT are to better expand our breadth and reach more communities than before. I am currently at a 2YC college and provide a great opportunity to continue to grow the GER participation of 2YC colleges, faculty, and students on the research side. These paired with my previous work with the division and focus on equity across the division make me a great candidate for leadership for the GER Division.
Past President: Caitlin Callahan
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
As a member of NAGT, I have benefited from regularly attending the Earth Educators' Rendezvous as well as other in-person or online professional development workshops. In terms of past service, I have served NAGT in a few different roles. These have included being an associate editor of Journal of Geoscience Education, a planning committee member of the Earth Educators' Rendezvous, and past co-chair of the Earth Educators' Rendezvous. As part of the GER Division, I have helped a collaboration with the AGU Education Section to support a regular Zoom gathering for the GER community to exchange of ideas for our work.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
One of things I value most in a community such as NAGT are the opportunities for what I call collective courage. At earlier points in my life, I have been a member of different concert bands and orchestras. What I cherished about playing in ensembles were our shared efforts in performing albeit with each person in a different role. No one person would succeed without the success of others. I approach leadership roles with an aim to create and foster similar cultures of collective courage. In practice, I see this as encouraging and recognizing different perspectives and needs. In the Geoscience Education Research division, these perspectives and needs can include scholars addressing a diversity of questions, scholars using a range of methodologies to pursue those questions, and scholars bringing different experiences and and expertise to the community. I am keen to be of service to promote and advocate on behalf of these collective efforts.
Media Director: Casey Davenport
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I have engaged with NAGT in a variety of ways since I first became a member about 10 years ago. I was introduced to NAGT through the SERC Early Career Workshop as a new Assistant Professor, which was a truly wonderful and helpful experience. Since then, I have participated in various webinars, workshops, and the Earth Educators' Rendezvous, and strongly encourage my graduate students to participate in these activities as appropriate. More recently, I have acted as co-convener of an afternoon workshop, a 2-day morning workshop, and a 3-day morning workshop at the past 3 EERs. Additionally, I have published in the Journal of Geoscience Education and acted as a reviewer for several articles.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
NAGT is a critical source of professional development opportunities via workshops, webinars, the Rendezvous, and the Journal of Geoscience Education. What I love about NAGT is that I always come away with fresh perspectives and ideas, both theoretical and practical, in a community that truly cares about students and student success. In the same way, I hope to continue this strong tradition as a leader in NAGT. Particularly in the current challenging environment for science and how AI is changing education, the experiences and expertise of NAGT are vital. We must continue to bring the community together to work through these challenges and support each other and our students.
Geo2YC Officer Candidates
Vice-President: Chris Berg
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I have been an active member of NAGT for nearly 20 years as a workshop participant, reviewer, and activity contributor. NAGT has been a part of my professional growth since graduate school, as an early-career faculty member at a PUI, and as I transitioned to an instructional position at a 2YC. I am currently a member of the Teach the Earth Website committee, and the Assistant Editor of the Teach the Earth Collection that hosts thousands of reviewed activities and course modules. I have previously served on the organizing committee and review committees for the Earth Educators' Rendezvous, the professional conference for geoscience educators.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
My engagement in NAGT-sponsored workshops, conferences, and webinars has greatly influenced my growth as a professor and will guide my leadership in the 2YC division. These experiences have enabled me to collaborate with diverse faculty, exchange best practices, and refine my teaching strategies. As 2YC instructors, our role in supporting students and advancing scientific literacy is critical, especially in today's uncertain landscape. Through my work with the Teach the Earth collection, I've both contributed to and helped to curate high-quality, accessible educational resources for 2YC faculty. Additionally, my involvement with and participation in the Earth Educators' Rendezvous has strengthened my ability to advocate for impactful professional development opportunities. As a leader, I am passionate about building a supportive and collaborative community that empowers educators. I am committed to advocating on behalf of 2YC faculty, and I would be honored to contribute to NAGT's continued success in this role.
Section Officer Candidates
Jump to: Eastern | Far Western | Northeastern | North Central | Pacific Northwest | Rocky Mountain | Southeastern | South Central
Eastern Section
President: Stephen Lindberg
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I have been a member of NAGT since 1992, and a former OEST for Pennsylvania. I am currently serving as eastern section president and was nominated at our recent eastern section meeting in Erie, Pennsylvania (May 1,2,3, 2025) for a fourth term during our business meeting. I have successfully organized and hosted 4 eastern section meetings, the most recent being our spring 2024 meeting in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. I continue to be an active, contributing member to our eastern section.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
I have been involved in geoscience education since 1978, teaching at both the public school and college level. Retiring from public education in 2012, I now teach at Pitt-Johnstown. My role as eastern section president has been a continuing effort to maintain the eastern section as an active, member-focused section that provides opportunity for others to become involved in section activities. Our eastern section meetings held every spring serve as a focal point that brings us together for geoscience education.
Vice-President: Mike Baer
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I am currently the vice president, I was the President in 2016-2017 and I hosted the Eastern Section conference in Erie, PA in May of 2025.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
I have been an Earth Science teacher for 26 years. I have seen the field at its most basic level (middle school) change with the times, and it's not good. My experience brings a different view than the college professors and non-traditional educators. I think this gives me a unique insight that can help NAGT in the future.
Secretary: Michael O'Donnell
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I have been a member for several years and am a past president of the Eastern Section.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
My goals as a leader always come from the needs of the membership.
Treasurer: Renee Aubry
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I have been NY Councilor since 2005 and have already served as eastern section treasurer since approximately 2010.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
I am heavily invested in Earth Science education, having been a high school earth science teacher for the past 35 years. I have been a contributing member of STANYS and NYESTA, and have aslo been a member of NESTA and GSA for many years.
Far Western Section
No candidate info received.
Northeastern Section
All officers in this section are fulfilling their existing terms. No new candidates are on the ballot this year, but vacancies will open up next year. Please contact your section leaders (opens in a new window) if you are interested in future leadership opportunities.
North Central Section
All officers in this section are fulfilling their existing terms. No new candidates are on the ballot this year, but vacancies will open up next year. Please contact your section leaders (opens in a new window) if you are interested in future leadership opportunities.
Pacific Northwest Section
All officers in this section are fulfilling their existing terms. No new candidates are on the ballot this year, but vacancies will open up next year. Please contact your section leaders (opens in a new window) if you are interested in future leadership opportunities.
Rocky Mountain Section
No candidate info received.
Southeastern Section
Vice-President: Brittany Price
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I had the opportunity to participate in NAGT's weeklong workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty in the summer of 2024. Attending this workshop at the end of my first year as an assistant professor provided me with the support and resources I needed to overcome many of the obstacles that arise as a pre-tenure faculty member. On the more personal side, attending this workshop allowed me to foster new friendships, build collaborations, and aided in tackling my impostor syndrome. Most importantly, this experience built a greater sense of community for me within the earth sciences and made me want to contribute more towards NAGT's mission to support a diverse, inclusive, and thriving community of educators and education researchers.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
My engagement with NAGT and other professional experiences has demonstrated to me the importance of community building and the various impactful ways in which we can support our community members, whose needs often differ. While in graduate school, I participated in Unlearning Racism in the Geosciences, which gave me a better understanding of how to serve and uplift individuals from groups traditionally excluded from the earth sciences, a mission I have taken to heart. I have also served as a Sigma Gamma Epsilon chapter secretary for two years, giving me experience working with an executive board and allowing me to serve students within the department. As an educator who has worked at institutions that serve predominantly minority and first-generation students, it is also a goal of mine to support students through active dissemination of resources and opportunities that elevate them and aid them in navigating towards their own goals.
Awards Coordinator: Rebekah Stanton
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I recently received the NAGT Outstanding Earth Sciences Teacher Award for the Southeastern section of NAGT. I would like to get more involved in the geoscience teaching community and see this as a great opportunity to do so.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
My passion is teaching and love interacting professionally with high school students. I am dedicated to providing hands on experiences that expose students to the legitimate challenges and problems that occur in Earth Science fields. I try to recognize areas of difficulty within teaching and match my curricular elements to the needs of my current students. My expertise in these fields helps inform my decisions and identify goals within my professional career, and by extension, would do so for potential NAGT leadership goals.
South Central Section
President: Sabrina Ewald
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
Since 2016, I have been a member of NAGT as a K-12 educator. I have served as president of the South Central Section for the past two years. As president, I actively collaborate with the NAGT Council and other leaders to develop and strengthen the South Central Section. Recently, section officers attended the GSA South Central section conference to promote NAGT and encourage attendees to join NAGT. The section is organizing a field trip for K-12 educators and university students that will be offered as part of GSA's annual conference later this year.
I am also one of the founding members of the K-12 Ad Hoc Committee. Additionally, I have participated in Earth Educators' Rendezvous as both a presenter and attendee and contributed to Teach the Earth. The committee's mission is to increase K-12 participation in NAGT and promote Teach the Earth. The committee regularly sends newsletters to NAGT membership highlighting resources in Teach the Earth as well as providing a bookmark for the Earth Science Week kit.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
As president of the South Central section, my aim is to boost membership and enhance member engagement. To achieve this, I will collaborate with executive leadership and state representatives to organize events at both state and section levels, fostering interaction among members and building a strong community of geoscience educators. This community will help increase membership and boost attendance and participation at EER and GSA conferences. Another priority is to expand K-12 membership and increase nominations for the Outstanding Earth Science Teaching award. I plan to leverage the expertise of section members to grow our membership and find effective ways to connect with K-12 educators. My mission is to support geoscience educators in enhancing their knowledge and providing quality resources for their classrooms.
Engaging in various NAGT activities and groups has been instrumental in my growth as both a member and a leader. Through these experiences, I have gained valuable insights into the core objectives of NAGT. With 23 years of experience as a K-12 geoscience educator, I possess the expertise to understand the challenges faced by fellow educators. My leadership roles on campus and within the districts have further honed my abilities. Currently, as the program manager for education outreach and training at The University of Texas at Austin, I oversee and develop numerous educator outreach events and programs. These experiences have been pivotal in cultivating the skills necessary for effective leadership, which I will apply as president of the South Central section.
Vice-President: Dawn Chegwidden
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I have been the previous Vice-President for the South Central section. I have participated prior to being an officer in presenting at the Earth Educators Rendezvous conference and AGU conferences during my teaching career. I have been a 3 year member of the NAGT Ad hoc K-12 Committee. NAGT has provided me with many opportunities to promote geoscience concepts.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
As an officer my goal is to increase membership within our section. I know as a public school educator for 33 years how important it is to implement geoscience initiatives that support students in their future careers. I currently teach AP Environmental Science and Aquatic Science in Texas. I was a partner teacher for SERC as a curriculum reviewer for the EarthLabs Climate Project as well as a Pilot and Research Teacher. As a Workshop Leader, I was able to mentor as well as to promote engaging curriculum with other Texas teachers. My current engagement in NAGT has provided a strong foundation for my professional growth as a geoscience educator. Through this vibrant organization, I have collaborated with other educators to discuss the value of evidence-based teaching practices in our classrooms. As a leader I will continue to be a voice for the K-12 educators and college faculty.
Secretary-Treasurer: Liane Stevens
How have you been engaged with NAGT already?
I joined NAGT in 2003 after starting my first faculty position. Since then, I have attended NAGT section meetings, workshops, and webinars as a graduate student and faculty member, and I always enjoy the time with like-minded colleagues. This year (2024-25) I served as secretary-treasurer of the South Central NAGT section. Now that I feel fully up-to-speed in this role, I am eager to continue helping the South Central NAGT section get up on its feet as well.
How does your engagement in NAGT and other professional experience/expertise inform your goals as a leader in NAGT?
To me, NAGT is a positive community, with sharing, collegiality, and leadership among its strengths. Without a working section in recent years, however, geoscience educators in Texas have not received the full benefit of this community. In my roles as faculty and undergraduate program coordinator, and from talking with colleagues, I see our greatest challenges as educating the public about geoscience's significance to society and increasing undergraduate enrollment: now, more than ever, we need more students and geoscientists. We also need each other in order to make progress on these fronts while facing uncertainty. My objectives are to continue to support NAGT's vision, mission, and goals through building a strong South Central community that supports geoscience educators in the work we all love to do, and encourages K-12 and college students to explore geoscience careers. Continuing goals are increasing membership, improving communications, and establishing section programs and priorities.