Julie A. Luft, the Athletic Association Professor of Science Education and Distinguished Research Professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, was recently elected to chair of Section Q, the education subgroup of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
As chair of the education section, she will work with the education steering committee to support the mission of AAAS—to advance science and serve society—through set initiatives, including continuing the Justice and Equity Webinar Series, connecting with other AAAS sections to amplify the importance of K-12 science education, and increasing engagement in both the education section and the organization.
“As the education chair, it is so important to be advocating and elevating K-12 science education,” said Luft, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Education. “Our formal and informal K-12 educators are critical to our future in STEM, as they work with all students who will eventually be participants in society or future Nobel Prize winners. This is the work of K-12 science educators—to ensure that every student is prepared to engage in our STEM-oriented future.”
Founded in 1848, AAAS is one of the largest science organizations in the world, with members from 91 countries, and publishes six peer-reviewed academic journals under the “Science” umbrella. Luft became a fellow of the AAAS in 2010 and has collaborated with the organization to promote various STEM education initiatives, including a webinar series with the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and an institute for early-career science education scholars with the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST).
Luft has held leadership positions or fellowships across multiple research and science education organizations, including as an American Educational Research Association fellow and president of NSTA in 2023. She has received recognition for her research and service toward advancing science education and the science teaching profession, including the University of Georgia’s Distinguished Research Professor Award in 2020 and the Distinguished Contributions to Science Education Through Research Award from NARST in 2024.
Her term as chair of Section Q will run through 2028.