Kristine Callis-Duehl

<p class="MsoNormal">In 2005, Southeast Asia became my eye-opening battleground. Immersed in the Luang Nam Tha valley of NW Laos, I witnessed the transformative might of education firsthand. Collaborating with Médecins Sans Frontières, I delved into medicine and research. But my encounter with Pawn, a French-educated local with a vision, ignited my passion. Pawn sought to uplift an impoverished region through ecotourism, and I eagerly supported his cause.

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<p class="MsoNormal">China's adoption of the UN's REDD Act in 2006 changed the landscape, literally and figuratively. Forests in the southwest were decimated to make way for plantations, compelling opportunistic business owners to migrate southward and ravage NW Laos. I returned to find the once-lush mountains scorched and replaced by menacing trucks. These Chinese entrepreneurs coerced farmers into planting rubber instead of rice, leveraging threats of imprisonment. Exploiting the vulnerable, they even bribed the underpaid local police to enforce their unjust policies. Fueled by distress, Pawn dedicated himself to conservation education, defying the power brokers. Yet, his noble efforts were met with an inferno that engulfed his home—a chilling warning.

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<p class="MsoNormal">The rapid economic change that occurred in the town came at a grave cost. As monsoons swept through the valley, it turned into a drowning bowl. The rice paddies failed for the first time in history, pushing starvation to the brink. People began to heed Pawn's wisdom until he was mercilessly kidnapped, leaving an irreplaceable void. Pawn was the valley's sole beacon of education, and his absence perpetuated their vulnerability to external forces. I then fervently realized the crucial role education plays in empowering communities, potentially preventing such environmental devastation and loss of lives.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Motivated by this profound experience, I embarked on a journey, pursuing a Ph.D. in Botany at the University of Florida. My focus: studying plant defenses through the lens of medicine and conservation. While at UF, I became an NSF GK-12 fellow, immersing myself in K-12 classrooms as a scientific expert. Guiding seventh graders alongside a middle school teacher, I deepened my understanding of pedagogy, learning theory, and the intricacies of metacognition and cognitive development. Fueling my passion, I actively engaged in education research at UF.

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<p class="MsoNormal">In 2012, armed with newfound knowledge and enthusiasm, I established Budding Biologist—an educational start-up. Teaming up with the University of California-Davis, we secured an NSF-SBIR grant, enabling us to develop an ecological video game. This innovative creation empowered urban elementary school students to conduct natural history studies of tropical micro-islands. Concurrently, as a post-doctoral researcher at UC Irvine, I pursued plant defense ecology.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Entering the job market, I zealously chose to specialize in biology education research. Thus, in 2015, I assumed the role of a research faculty member at East Carolina University. I created a program in biology education research, amassing numerous NSF grants, and helped transform the introductory science courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Fast forward to 2019, when opportunity called me to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO. As the Director, and now Executive Director, of Education Research and Outreach, I merged my plant science and education background into a formidable force. At the world's largest non-academic plant science research facility, my team orchestrates comprehensive STEAM+Ag education programming, shaping the educational journey from "cradle to career." We evaluate these initiatives to understand how to get more students into STEM and transform a student studying science into a scientist in training.