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Cathy Manduca

Founding Director

Science Education Resource Center - Carleton College

I served as Director of the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College until 2020 during which time I led our work to improve education guiding projects to completion, developing new directions, raising funds and managing our staff. This work supported communities of educators in learning together and collaborating to create resources supporting widespread improvement in various aspects of education. My research focuses on understanding faculty learning and the impact of professional networks on educational practice.

I was the Executive Director of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers from 2007 to 2019. I was a member of the Board on Science Education and the LabX Advisory Board for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and have served on the elected leadership for the American Geophysical Union and AAAS Education Section . I am a fellow of the AAAS, the American Geophysical Union, and the Geological Society of America, and past recipient of the American Geophysical Union’s award for Excellence in Earth and Space Education. I received my B.A. in Geology from Williams College and my Ph.D. in Geology from the California Institute of Technology.

Currently, I am in the midst of a transition and enjoying the opportunity to explore. This includes finishing up some papers about SERC’s past impact, investigating ways in which I can contribute to environmental learning and action in the communities where I live: Rochester MN and McCall ID, contributing to regional and national efforts to improve global change literacy and resilience including the work of the Aspen Global Change Institute and the Midwest Climate Collaborative, serving as a Distinguished Lecturer for AGU.