Historian - Civic Educator

Science Education
as Civic Education

My work addresses the intersection of science learning, US history, and the democratic promise of liberal education. Executive Director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement — Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Div. Q).

Things to Read About Eliza
Current Focus Areas
Curriculum
Science Education for New Civic Engagements & Responsibilities (SENCER) helps faculty teach "through" issues of civic relevance
Professional Development
Workshops, webinars, institutes, and research to support formal and informal science educators.
Collaboration
Building alliances and partnerships among STEM reform initiatives, science advocacy organizations, and civic education initiatives.
From the Blog

Recent Writing

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STEM Reform

The Social Contract with Science: Why Civic Engagement Must Shape the Curriculum

March 5, 2026 · 1 min read

For two decades NCSCE had affirmed that science education is not merely workforce preparation–it is preparation for civic life in a democracy. The SENCER models are what science…