Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards presented at ASTC 2024 Annual Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C., USA – The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) has honored eight member organizations and three individuals with field-wide honors, the Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards. The awards were presented on September 30 at the ASTC 2024 Annual Conference in Chicago.
Since 2005, the Leading Edge Awards have been presented to ASTC members and their teams in recognition of extraordinary accomplishments that enhance the performance of their organizations while also significantly advancing and inspiring the entire field.
For more than a year, ASTC’s Awards Committee has been engaged in an extended process to re-envision the association’s awards program to more closely align the awards with ASTC’s strategic framework and the priorities for our field—and to explicitly recognize achievements at all stages of development. The 2024 award recipients are the first to be honored under this new approach.
As Awards Committee co-chair Sam Dean, CEO of Scott Family Amazeum, said during the awards presentation, the aim of the new structure is to “be even more successful at lifting up case studies that others can learn from, publicly acknowledge our members’ achievements, and stimulate all of us to greatness.”
“We continue to be inspired by the work of our community to serve their missions and to lead with their communities to increase understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people,” said Christofer Nelson, President and CEO of ASTC. “The work of the honorees is emblematic of the achievements of our members across North America and around the world.”
The awardees were selected from nearly 60 nominations.
Video reel of 2024 recipients of Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards, produced by Science North.
Organizational Awards
American Museum of Natural History
New York, New York
The American Museum of Natural History was recognized for its achievement in developing and launching the Susan and Peter J. Solomon Family Insectarium, its first new insect gallery in more than 50 years. The new exhibit allowed the museum to re-envision how to move visitors from “ick” to “wow” in a way that is serving as model for other natural history museums, demonstrating how collections can be used for public education. The Insectarium integrates live animals, specimens from the museum’s collection, and various immersive and multisensory experiences that appeal to visitors of all ages. Indeed, more than two-thirds of visitors report becoming more positive toward insects after visiting. The Awards Committee was impressed with the museum’s thoughtful and comprehensive approach and the seamless way that it makes use of the museum’s extensive collection.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver, Colorado
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science was honored for The Institute for Science & Policy, which is part community engagement and part think tank. The Institute enables the museum to tackle “wicked problems”—those which can be difficult to define, complex, and with no clear solutions—in a way that centers community perspectives. Tackling such issues as water scarcity, energy transition, climate change, and misinformation, the Institute has leveraged the museum’s strong reputation as a trusted convener to engage a broad group of stakeholders includes journalists and policymakers. In addition, the Institute’s stories, including through its Laws of Notion podcast, have been honored by awards from the National Association of Science Writers and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, among others, and have reached tens of thousands of listeners.
Don Harrington Discovery Center
Amarillo Texas
Don Harrington Discovery Center was honored for Beyond: Unity in Community, a semi-permanent exhibit series that promotes cultural awareness of growing local refugee communities, including those from Burma and Afghanistan, leading to enhanced visibility and respect. The museum worked closely with those communities and the Refugee Language Project to ensure authentic representation of cultures, experiences, clothing, music, and more. They have also continued to engage communities that had been previously inaccessible, providing them with a safe and fun space for them to discuss their cultures with their own families. The committee described the “impressive” exhibit series as “exactly what museums with such diverse communities should do to help everyone feel comfortable and welcome.”
Explora
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum was recognized for X Studio, its new STEAM workforce development center for teens. Developed following six years of extensive community listening, the new 8,000-square-foot center is preparing young people for changes that can help break generational centers of poverty. In just its first year of operation, X Studio has served more than 7,000 students through a variety of programs—including Teen Nights, science cafes, and digital media—as well as providing wrap-around services like tutoring, a clothing bank, and help with financial aid applications. One parent described the center as a place where the youth are seen, valued, and respected, creating an environment of true acceptance that helps each student feel confident and included.
Marbles Kids Museum
Raleigh, North Carolina
As part of its efforts to better serve visitors with sensory sensitivities, Marbles Kids Museum developed the new Under the Waves exhibit. The new lower-stimulus experience invites all museum visitors to play, regulate, and find respite—while providing tips for caregivers to support sensory visitors within and behind the museum. What really stood out was the museum’s attention to detail. The exhibit includes everything from calming bubbles to compression canoes, dim lighting to a custom-fabricated oversized octopus with weighted tentacles. The new space is not only helping support the museum’s own visitors, but also serving as a model for other institutions.
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Santa Cruz, California
When school children in California found a fossil, they took it to the local Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. It turned out to be a one-of-a-kind arm bone from an Ice Age Jefferson’s ground sloth. The museum capitalized on this discovery, turning the find into a long-term community celebration, partnering with a local science illustrator, launching a social media campaign, offering the students VIP access to a new exhibit, and earning large-scale local and national press coverage. The Awards Committee appreciated how the museum was able to engage its broader community, highlight the importance of collections more generally, and provide the public with insight into how fossils are taken care of and studied.
Terre Haute Children’s Museum
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute Children’s Museum stood out from the many science centers and museums that celebrated this year’s total solar eclipse with its “Total Eclipse of the Haute.” Their achievements would be impressive for any organization, but especially so for an organization with only seven full-time staff. The museum trained dozens of Ambassadors to extend its reach and partnered with a diverse group of organizations from credit unions to retirement homes. They raised the visibility of the upcoming eclipse by marching in six local parades and worked with local school districts far in advance so that students could have off for eclipse day. All of these efforts not only helped celebrate science during a once-in-a-lifetime event, but also positioned the museum as a strong community convener and enthusiastic collaborator more generally. As one local school official said, the museum’s efforts helped bring the entire community together.
The Wild Center
Tupper Lake, New York
Over the past 15 years, The Wild Center has developed the Youth Climate Program into a replicable program that is having a real impact on global climate discussions and on the youth who participate. For example, The Wild Center has helped facilitate over 200 climate summits in nine countries and in much of the United States. These conference-style events kickstart youth-led projects by focusing on the knowledge and skills needed for effective climate change leadership. They have helped youth from around the world to build confidence and competence as climate leaders, empowered them to develop Climate Action Plans for their schools, and connected them with local government to create more climate-resilient communities—all while centering and involving the youth in all aspects of planning and implementation. And by making a toolkit and planning guide freely available, The Wild Center is helping other organizations to engage their own communities in this work.
Individual Awards
Beverly Serrell
Serrell & Associates
Chicago, Illinois
Over a long career as a consultant, Beverly Serrell actively worked to make science museums be their best, centering audience needs before anything else and connecting content or experience to emotion. Her first book on exhibit labels, now in its third edition, remains a seminal work for our field, and she has continued to provide leadership on how to break down barriers and make science and other topics relatable and relevant to diverse audiences. Her long client list of ASTC members, art museums, zoos, aquariums, associations, and more are testament to her huge impact on our field. Recognized as one of the founding members of our field, Beverly received a standing ovation for her many contributions.
Doug Zimmer
Volunteer
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Chicago, Illinois
Former high school science teacher Doug Zimmer has been a volunteer at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry for 18 years, with a total of more than 6,000 volunteer hours. From the information desk to the Microscopy Cart, he has helped spark guests’ creative and scientific imaginations as they navigate the museum’s wonders. Doug has been the volunteer captain for the museum’s overnight Snoozeum program, leading dozens of other volunteers as they model best practices for community outreach and raise funds for the museum. For the past decade, he has also played a critical role for the Collections and Archives Department, where he has been reorganizing the archives to increase accessibility, supporting outside researchers including schoolchildren, and being an expert on the museum’s history. With major contributions in so many areas, any museum would be fortunate to have a volunteer like Doug.
ASTC also surprised the long-time co-chair of the Leading Edge Awards jury with his own “Edgie”:
Jonah Cohen
STEM Education Specialist
McWane Science Center
Birmingham, Alabama
For nearly ten years, Jonah Cohen has been the heart and soul of the Leading Edge Awards. Long before it was made an official ASTC committee, Jonah was the driving force to ensure that ASTC was honoring extraordinary achievements by our field. He almost single-handedly worked to recruit the awards jury, organize the nomination and review process, and captain the presentation at conference. Although Jonah will continue to offer his keen insight on the awards and their impact as a member of the committee, ASTC is pleased to recognize his unparalleled leadership for the awards over many years.
The committee also announced a change in its leadership with Robin Gose (President and CEO, MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation) and Ali Jackson (Director of Programs & Partnerships, Sciencenter) coming on board as the new co-chairs of the Awards Committee moving forward.
The full roster of the 2023–2024 Awards Committee is below.
# # #
About ASTC
Founded in 1973, ASTC is a network of nearly 600 science and technology centers and museums, and allied organizations, engaging more than 110 million people annually across North America and in more than 40 countries. With its members and partners, ASTC works towards a vision of increased understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people. www.astc.org
Follow ASTC on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, and Instagram @ScienceCenters.
ASTC Awards Committee
2023–2024
CO-CHAIRS
Sam Dean*
Chief Executive Officer
Scott Family Amazeum
Bentonville, Arkansas, USA
Jonah Cohen
STEM Education Specialist
McWane Science Center
Birmingham, Alabama, USA
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Katie Anderson
Senior Director, Museum Operations
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville, Alabama, USA
Irena Cieślińska
Deputy Director
Copernicus Science Centre
Warsaw, Poland
Andrea Durham
Executive Director
SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity
Sacramento, California, USA
Robin Gose*†
President and CEO
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
Santa Barbara, California, USA
Maribel Ibarra
General Director
Sietecolores Ideas Interactivas
Mexico City, Mexico
Ali Jackson†
Director of Programs & Partnerships
Sciencenter
Ithaca, New York, USA
Megan Ramer
Director of Programs
Connecticut Science Center
Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Tifferney White
Chief Executive Officer
Louisiana Children’s Museum
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Darryl Williams
Senior Vice President of Science and Education
The Franklin Institute
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
STAFF LIAISONS
Adam Fagen
Director of External Affairs
afagen@astc.org
Kalie Sacco
Director of Member Strategy
ksacco@astc.org
Daniel Bateman
Coordinator of Community and Conference
dbateman@astc.org
* Member of ASTC Board of Directors
† Incoming co-chair
The Awards Committee is looking to recruit additional members for the 2024–2025 cycle and beyond. Those interested in being considered are encouraged to express their interest by completing the form at www.astc.org/volunteer.