Christina Schwarz, a professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Teacher Education, is the recipient of the 2024 National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Fellows Award. The prestigious award recognizes accomplished scholars in the science education community whose scholarship, service and leadership activities contribute to and advance the field.
Along with four other scholars, she was recognized in March 2024 at the NARST annual international conference in Denver, Colorado.
Schwarz’s impact as both a scholar and teacher educator at the College of Education spans more than 20 years. She has taught over a dozen courses in the Department of Teacher Education, including hundreds of preservice elementary teachers who have taken her elementary science methods courses.
Her research, which has received more than $3 million in funding, focuses on creating meaningful and engaging learning spaces for everyone by helping them get involved in science and engineering practices. She has done so by specializing in how students and their teachers can develop and use models in science to make sense of the world. Modeling can help people express and share complex ideas for better understanding and engagement.
Throughout her career, she has co-authored dozens of publications, working collaboratively with scholars worldwide to push the boundaries of science education. For example, “Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices,” co-edited by Schwarz and published by the National Science Teachers Association Press in 2017, is a crucial guide for educators across the U.S.
As a faculty member associated with the CREATE for STEM Institute, she advocates for an interdisciplinary approach in her teaching. In her most recent courses, she has focused her teaching on promoting justice and equity by integrating aspects of science, engineering and computational thinking to tackle real-world challenges such as energy efficiency, water quality and health.
Through her involvement with NARST, Schwarz has mentored graduate students from around the globe through the Abell Institute, an initiative designed in honor of the late science education scholar Sandra K. Abell. This unique program, held every other year, gathers mentors and mentees from across the globe in a collaborative environment where they exchange culture and advice on how to navigate academia.
“By far it’s working with students and mentoring,” she said when asked what the most impactful part of her career has been. “People do better – especially in higher education – when they feel like they can belong and be themselves.”
Kristen Gunckel, a 2008 graduate of the Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education Ph.D. program, has been appointed to the NARST Board of Directors.